Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Jeff Runquist Wines

Ranking in my top 5 local wineries, Jeff Runquist Wines are amazing. I will caveat that with, you must be a zin lover to really appreciate his wines. Jeff Runquist is an Artisan, working for a larger winery, his private label is more of an art to him, and if he is not happy with the end result - well he won't put his name on it. This small winery produces less than 5,000 cases of wine per year. You will find them under two lables, either R or Z. Where to begin with this one...I loved the 2006 Z, a Zin with a nice balance of jam, earth and spice. My wife, on the other hand, enjoyed the 2007 R (I am guessing on the year but pretty sure it was 2007). This was a nice zin, which I enjoyed, however it lacked some of the spice making it a bit smoother Zin, which is what my wife enjoys. We were also both surprised, as Pop Runquist poured us one after another, with the 2006 Pinot Noir. A blind tasting, I thought this was closer to a zin than a Pinot, a nice one to try. Check out their website to learn more - http://www.jeffrunquistwines.com/

2 comments:

Joeshico said...

Glad you're back. Thought you gave up.
Been picking up some awful nice whites from CA this summer. Would like to know more about Amador county wines. Can't remember seeing any Jeff Runquist Wines here in Central NY. Nice Post!

The Wine Snob Crew said...

Joeshico, I haven't given up, just not taking enough time to enjoy a bottle of wine and post the results.
Amador County produces some excellent wine, small artisian type wineries that remind me of the Napa of the past. Amador is known for their Barbera's, however they produce some very nice Zin's, Sauvignon Blanc's and Petite's. Look for Jeff Runquist under the label "R" or "Z". The Z label is considered their premium Zin produced from Old Vine zin's planted at the turn of the century in Amador County. Try one and let me know your thoughts.