2009 Chariot Gypsy (34% Zinfandel, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petite Sirah, 15% Merlot, 5% Sangiovese), California

Color – Dark purple nearly black

Nose – Dark fruit, oak, licorice, vanilla

Taste – I was hesitant to pick this up due to the fact that it features Zinfandel, a varietal I have long eschewed owing to its tendency to be featured in wines I refer to as “nuclear fruit bombs”. That being said, I had heard from many people that this wine was truly exceptional, had an amazing QPR and a few of them went so far as to say this should have a price tag ten times as high as it currently does. With those kinds of screaming endorsements I just had to purchase a bottle and find out for myself. First off there are only two things about this wine that are small: the price and the tannins. Other than that everything else about this wine is absolutely HUGE. From the word “go”, the flavors in this wine assault the tongue with dark, sweet fruits, hints of pepper, and the sting of cola. The mid-palate is absent of tannins, though it shows limited heat from the alcohol, but its main ingredient is a decent amount of acid. I would imagine that between the sugar and the acid the 13.5% alcohol is rendered nearly invisible. It is medium-to-full bodied, with a long-ish finish, and a definite “weight” on the tongue (I hesitate to call it syrupy, but that’s what comes to mind). The aftertaste is unpleasant, leaving behind what I can only describe as the taste and feeling cherry Chloroseptic throat spray. Yes this even makes my tongue just a little bit numb after I swallow. This is not a bad wine, but it’s not a great wine either; it’s merely a good wine.

Overall, this is not my cup of tea, or wine, to say this least. It is far too fruit forward and syrupy for my taste. I am sure it is a hit with lots of people that like big, dark, sweet Zins from California. It hits all the marks of a wine that wants to be a big seller. I am not saying it’s a bad wine, because it’s not a bad wine and it does have a pretty good QPR, it’s just not a good wine. It is light-years away from being a 30 dollar bottle let alone a 50 dollar bottle. It lacks the complexity, depth and character that a 20 dollar bottle of wine would require. If you are looking for a bottle of wine that sells for 5 or 6 bucks but has the qualities of a 15 or 20 dollar bottle, I would say get yourself the ’07 or ’08 Trentatre Rosso. If you just want something to share with some friends that aren’t really into wine, then get this. This is definitely a love it or hate it wine, my palate absolutely hated it. You’ll have to decide for yourself on this one.

Chariot Wines