2006 Valdez Family Winery Zinfandel Lancel Creek Reserve Russian River Valley

In all honesty, we do neither look for nor expect such high ripeness and weight from Zinfandels grown in the Russian River Valley as are conveyed by this very deep, very outgoing, impressively extracted effort, but, if not speaking so directly to "place" it unmistakably shouts "richness". It is simply awash in rich oak, sweet plums and ripe blackberries and offers immense immediate appeal, but its extravagance comes with balance and structure enough to guarantee another four or five years of wholly enjoyable drinking.