INSIDER'S PICK: 2023 MAITRE de CHAI CALIFORNIA RED WINE (VINOUS 92points) $23.99

There are a lot of preconceptions lumped under the moniker 'California Red Wine/Red Blend', hopefully we can break some of them with this wine. In most consumer's eyes the term stands for high volume wines that sell more for their branding than their contents, kind of boozy, and invariably have waaayyyy more residual sugar hiding in them than anyone would be willing to admit. Zinfandel is often a part of these blends and has gotten an (undeserved) reputation as the primary culprit. Treated correctly in the vineyards and the winery,many Zin producers have shown they can shave down the alcohol and extraction without losing any of the delicious character or complexity. They can even be made into wines that can be described as balanced and polished, elegant even. Maitre de Chai is a project started by two former restaurant professionals so their wine tastes obviously lean towards the more food-friendly styles, and this surprising blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache is their flagship. Deep red but not opaque in the glass, the aromas are a deviation from most Zin based wines showing lots of leather and dried spice at first, getting redder fruits as it opens along with some sweet tobacco. Even with a long decant the nose never gets opulent or intensive, more so fine-tuned and ever-changing with subtlety. The palate shows a little bit more of the Zinfandel ripeness and red berry fruit, but is tempered with some fine tannic structure and a savory background that gives everything a smoother texture into a slightly peppery finish. This is one of the least in-your-face expressions of a Zinfandel based wine you can come across, and may help renew some people's relationship with the grape.
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