The 2004 Zinfandel Belloni Vineyard may turn out to be outstanding. A distinctive perfume of a French charcuterie shop with plenty of pepper and herbs in the background along with tangy acidity are present in this dark ruby-colored Zinfandel. It possesses a serious character in addition to plenty of spice and medium-bodied flavors. It does not have the depth found in great examples of the past, but it is undoubtedly a good Zinfandel. One of my favorite songs is called “Poker Face” by a relatively unknown country crooner named Rob Jungklas. One of the lines in that great song sums up how I’m feeling about Ravenswood these days ... “You don’t have to meet the devil to lose your soul on this black night.” Ravenswood along with Ridge and a handful of other wineries were the reference points for stunning Zinfandel during the decade of the 1980s, but since the winery’s sale, these wines are mere shadows of what they were a decade ago (despite the fact that Joel Peterson is still in charge). While some of the current cuvees merited respectable scores, the soul and guts of Ravenswood Zinfandels are missing.Tel. (707) 938-1960

I’ve never had a less than satisfying Belloni Zin from Ravenswood, but this is certainly the ripest in memory. It’s almost a dessert, with melted milk chocolate, cassis, blueberry, red cherry and peppery spice flavors. Yet it remains dry, with the fine acid-tannin balance the vineyard is noted for.——S.H.(6/1/2007)—— 89