Chateau Souverain Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 1999

I discovered this wine languishing at a corner liquor store and thought I might give it a try. It dates from the days when Souverain used the lovely green bevelled bottles, and it was in fine form for a six year old zin. It shows that when zinfandels are not too highly extracted (the bottle says it only has 14.5% alc./vol.), they are capable of substantial aging. Although was holding on to enjoyable berry and currant flavors, it had picked up some lovely depth from the bottle age, showing earthy and spicy notes. Unusually for us, we drank this wine without food, but it would pair perfectly with roasted duck or grilled quail. F.F. Coppola has recently purchased the Souverain winery facilities, so it will be interesting to see what happens to their wines when made at the new digs.