Sausal Family Vineyards is a family founded, owned and operated winery in California’s Alexander Valley, officially operating in its current incarnation since 1973.  With vines dating back to 1877, they boast a selection of high quality Estate Zinfandels produced from Italian winemaking traditions brought over by the original family patriarch.  Much more casual than a major industrial operation, Sausal’s wines are produced on a small scale (this particular run was 3100 cases) with personal attention.

Seth and I decided to put the 50 and 90 year varieties side by side and compare them with a stock, 2006 Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zin.  My writeup covers the 50 year Sausal Family Zinfandel, which can be found on the Winery’s website for $19.

For starters, the Family Zinfandel is one of the most balanced Zins I’ve ever tried.  All of the traditional Zinfandel flavors are there – spice, fruit, and even a hint of vanilla sweetness, all perfectly blended, none overpowering the others.  It’s so well balanced, in fact, that each mouthful seems to offer a new experience depending on what you’re looking for, each flavor taking its turn to delight your senses before stepping back into the shadows.  While it doesn’t have the same brashness of many Zinfandels, this is by no means a wine that feels watered down.  Rather it is perfectly multi-dimensional, not too strong in any one suit, but not disappointing anyone in any way. Perfectly drinkable by itself but certainly enjoyable with a meal, this is all around one of the most enjoyable Zinfandels I’ve ever experienced.

After a bit of debate, we decided to score this wine at a 92.  We arrived at this number for philosophical reasons more than any shortcoming of the wine itself.  While we both enjoyed this wine as much as any Zin we’ve ever had, our ultimate conclusion is that it falls short of offering us something new – something that changes our perspective about what a Zin should be.  Like my high school English teacher who refused to give any paper higher than a 92 unless it offered her something novel, even if it was technically perfect, we couldn’t bring ourselves to score this particular Sausal any higher, even though it controlled all of its competing flavors with technical perfection.

Final result?  If you’re looking for an excellent Zinfandel and are willing to spend a few extra dollars over the pack of $15 bottles, this is a wine that won’t disappoint.

Score: 92