2005 Goosecross Cellars Napa Zinfandel

 

Mission Codename: The Goose that laid the golden Zin

Operative: Agent Red, with Agent Zin

Objective: Wine Spies Operatives demand great Zinfandel. Send Agent Red to the Goosecross Cellars in Napa Valley to retrieve a glorious Zinfandel

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Goosecross Cellars

Wine Subject: 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel

Winemaker: Geoff Gorsuch

Backgrounder: Reports have been flooding in to Wine Spies Central Command about Goosecross Cellars and their passion for crafting distinctive artisan wines. After visiting the winery, Agent Zin and Agent Red return to Central Command with their spoils, a few bottles of today’s great Zinfandel. Read their ’mission report’ below, if you can stomach the bad jokes that flow out of them as the enjoy a few glasses of this great wine.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet with perfect clarity and color that remains concentrated right to the edges of the wine. This wine has a tight and shimmery surface and skinny legs that streak down the glass

Smell – A deep whiff delivers a succulent rush of layered fruits of juicy raspberry, blackberry, and plum, with wonderful spice, cocoa and earthen components

Feel – Tight and velvety smooth, mouth-coating and supple with great medium tannins that dry and make you want to smack your lips!

Taste – DELICIOUS and bold without being over-the-top, with layers of berry jam, ripe plum, cherry and mild spice

Finish – Beautiful layers of flavor taper slowly, leaving behind a slight dryness and sweetness that make you long for your next sip

Conclusion – This is a GREAT wine and I am now a HUGE Goosecross Zin fan. This wine presents a great balance between big and refined. Its flavors and aromas are really big, but they never feel overpowering. The wines mouth-feel is superior and unique, inviting you to try the wine in small sips and large gulps for different sensations. Be sure to grab this wine up as it won’t last through the weekend.

Mission Report:

We spent the day with the good folks at Goosecross Cellars, learning all about their wines and experiencing, first hand, their dedication and their passion for making the best wine. Owners David Topper, Colleen Topper and Geoff Gorsuch were very accommodating, showing us around the winery and describing their artisan-style winemaking ways. Their superb wines are a reflection of their commitment to creating wines that are meant to be enjoyed.

As we were preparing to leave I remarked on the peace and beauty of their winery. In response, Colleen said, “That reminds me of a joke I just heard; Two geese are in the vineyard and one says to the other, ‘What do you do whenever you feel lonely?’ The other one said, ‘Oh, I just have a gander around.’” We all chuckle and then bid Colleen and David a fond farewell.

Back at Central Command, we quickly popped a bottle of Goosecross Zinfandel – the perfect accompaniment to a long needed night off. With all of the hard work we Wine Spies do, occasionally we need to unwind. Fortunately, a great bottle of wine is usually involved. Unfortunately, at least for you dear reader, sometimes these great wines are accompanied by awful jokes. We reflect on our visit and, recalling Colleen’s joke, Zin starts the jokefest:

Agent Zin: Why did the Goose cross the road?

Agent Red: Why?

Agent Zin: To keep the chicken from drinking all this great Goosecross Zinfandel!

So, it was going to be another one of those nights, was it?

In retaliation, I shoot back with:

Agent Red: Knock Knock
Agent Zin: Who’s there?
Agent Red: Goose!
Agent Red: Goose who?
Agent Red: Goose who’s knocking at your door!

Then Zin, with this salvo:

Agent Zin: Knock Knock
Agent Red: Who’s there?
Agent Zin: Goose!
Agent Red: Goose who?
Agent Zin: Goose see a doctor, you don’t look well !

Uggh, I know. But that doesn’t stop us. The bad puns, like the wine, keep on flowing:

Agent Zin: A guy walks into a bar with a goose under his arm. The bartender says, ‘Why did you have to bring the pig in with you?’ The guy answers, “Excuse me? This is a goose.” The bartender says, ’’Excuse me, I was talking to the goose.”

Nice try. I fire this one off:

Agent Red: A Goose walks into a bar, orders a round of drinks for everyone and tells the bartender to put it on his bill!

Agent Zin: Three ducks are in a bar and a goose walks in. One duck says, “Take a gander at that!”

If these seem to be getting worse and worse, you’re right. Read on, if you dare, or just skip the jokes and read the end.

(I warned you)

Agent Red: A goose walks into a bar. The bartender is also a goose. A man says to his friend in the corner, “I’m sick of getting double-billed”

Agent Zin: That’s nothing! Try this one… Goose 1, “I’ll Bet I can make you say black.” Goose 2 takes the bet. Goose 1 says, “OK. What are the colors of the American flag?” Goose 2, “Red, white, & blue.” Goose 1, “I told you I could make you say blue!” Goose 2, “But you said you could make me say ‘black’….”

And then, they become obtuse:

Agent Red: What did one Goose say to the other Goose?
Agent Zin: What?
Agent Red: Hello

Agent Zin: Ask me if I’m a Goose?
Agent Red: Are you a Goose?
Agent Zin: Yes

I’ll spare you the rest! Suffice it to say that today’s Goosecross Cellars 2005 Napa Valley Zinfandel is infinitely better than our terrible jokes.

If you are looking for a really fantastic Zinfandel, please be sure to pick up a couple of bottle of this superb wine, which we declare to be the best wine we have tasted so far in 2008!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Goosecross Cellars can be seen in this satellite photo.