Just in case you weren’t confident that wine writers are detached from reality, here are two quotations from reviews of a wine that we drank on Saturday evening. Actually, I drank it. The wife sneered at me when I offered a taste.
ripeness but firm supporting acidity. ”
— Steven Tanzer
“…reveals dark earthy fruits along with hints of figs, raisins, plums, and prunes, abundant sweetness from high glycerin, excellent density, and tremendous purity for such a dry table wine…”
— Robert Parker
To be fair, Tanzer’s comments are not completely insane. They make a bit of sense, but with detail that simply doesn’t fly. Parker just sounds like a loon. I defy anyone who doesn’t live on Planet Parker to discern the difference between plum, prune (a dried plum) and raisin in a single wine.
Here is my review: It was really, really good. Buy some if you can. Or better yet, buy me some.
Seriously, it was a beautiful example of a fully-aged Zinfandel. The tannins had smoothed out, and the fruit was powerful without being too sweet or cloying. There was plenty of structure, and the finish went on and on. If I were to grade it, a “B+” or “A-” seems about right.