Copain
Sonoma Valley, California
Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard
Zinfandel
2004
$17.99
14.5%
The core "faded" to black, clear enough through the sunset reds and oranges to see the high quantity of sediment and silt throughout, looks older for sure. The fruit in the nose has turned plummy and soft, buoyed some by a medicinal aspect, unfortunately there's something offputting akin to dirty socks left under the bed for a month or rotting tree stump, this exacerbated by the lack of positive tertiary aromas. Full-bodied, marred by the same general flaws, however, the ripeness of the plum/prune to cherry, red currant, apricot fruit sugary enough to distract. Vanilla fudge, buttered toast and Ovaltine notes welcome partners to the fruit. No tannin nor acidity to speak of. Dried ginger, pulped oranges and sage provide dimension. Not bad for its age, probably peaked and headed down slope 5-7 years ago.
87 points

Note: Was mildly unfair to this wine as final sips arguably better than the first ones.