Let me start off the New Year with a “Drink Now Alert!”  Last night our neighbors served us a 2007 Zinfandel from Mount Aukum in El Dorado County.  It was terrific: the kind of wine that makes you say “wow” as your eyes roll back in your head.

If you love lush, silky, full bodied wines packed with flavor, and the softest of tannins, this is the wine for you.  It has just enough acidity to keep the wine fresh in your mouth.  If this wine is in your cellar, drink it now.  I checked the Mt. Aukum website and they are no longer selling this wine.

I think this wine is peaking right now.  As we speak, it is as good as it will ever be.  If you wait much longer to drink this wine, it will be “flabby”.

When we came home, I checked our inventory (man, that sounds pretentious) and found that we have 2 bottles of this Zin.  We’ll be drinking it in the next month or so.  It will pair well with a robust stew, or grilled lamb or similar.  Frankly, though, it will be just as good all by itself.