Da' Dancin' Bull

I'm probably one of the most intractable consumers around when it comes to buying in to advertisements.  Case in point; I've avoided Rancho Zabaco 'Dancing Bull' Zinfandel for the past few years because I didn't like its ad campaign in various wine pubs.  If I recall correctly, it heralded the Parker score of '85' with a big fat 85! 

Why did this bother me?

First of all I don't trust Parker scores (not just from Parker, but also from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, etc.).  In my opinion, California wines that normally score well are often of the 'fruit bomb' variety.

Secondly, an '85' doesn't really get me excited.  It sounds vaguely average to me (although yes, I know 85 is well above average).

Anyhoo,

I tried a bottle last night.  For $8-$9 this wine is a nice deal.

The Skinny
Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel, 2002 ($9)
California (mostly from Lodi and Sonoma)
A deep inky Zin
Black raspberry and spicy scents
A full-bodied wine with big, round tannins
*** (3 stars out of 5)

Oh an by the way, this wine is 82% Zin, 9% Syrah and 9% 'other'

It is a great partner for barbecue sauce dishes (e.g. grilled chicken w/red wine bbq sauce)