The sweetness got out of hand in this wine, which tastes like it has excessive residual sugar. There’s a raspberry and white chocolate power bar flavor. That’s delicious, of course, but consumers should know the wine isn’t dry.——S.H.(8/1/2011)—— 87

Made in an exotic, Asian spice, gingery, truffle, and black fruit-scented style, the 1994 Stellwagon Vineyard Zinfandel is full-bodied, dense, and rich. It is not a Zinfandel made in the commercial, mainstream manner. I find it provocative, interesting, and pleasurable, but it is not for everybody. Significantly more concentrated than the 1994 Zeigler Vineyard, the Stellwagon cuvee will last for 5-8 years.Readers should be aware that the Joseph Swan Zinfandels are made in a divergent style. They are more earthy and spicy, with the terroir components being emphasized more than the unbridled, pure fruit of the Zinfandel grape.NOTE: All the wines in this article were tasted in May, 1996.Tel. (707) 573-3747

The three 1991 Zinfandels are the most reassuringly rich, complex wines I have tasted in years from this historic winery. Made for cellaring, they are enormously endowed, tannic, backward wines with considerable body and concentration. All three promise to be thrilling wines, provided buyers exercise some patience. If you do not mind some tannic bite, they can be enjoyed now. How delighted I am to see such quality re-emerge from Joseph Swan!With its garnet color, the 1991 Zinfandel-Stellwagen Vineyard even looks different than the others. More developed, it is the easiest of this trio to drink. The big, smoky, cedary, black fruit-scented nose soars from the glass. This spectacularly rich, unctuous, remarkably concentrated Zinfandel offers admirable body and glycerin, as well as softer tannins than its two siblings. Drink this gloriously rich, full throttle wine over the next decade.Tel. (707) 573-3747