You knew it was coming. The warning signs were there. Mike Schmidt’s wine has landed in the PLCB. Collin Flatt takes Mike for a mustache ride and lives to tell the tale. Full disclosure after the jump.
I take my wine seriously. Too seriously, I’m told. People will look at the 548 Zinfandel as a novelty, which it is, but there are some fun things going on that are worth checking out.
First off, it’s a textbook Zin. He’s a fruit bomb with robust alcohol content that Lenny Dykstra would applaud. It won’t pair well with anything other than TV reruns, but that’s not a bad thing. We all need simple wines now and again, and Mikey’s 548 fills that niche quite well.
Coming from Paso Robles makes this wine better than it should be. I believe in what the Central Coasters produce in California much moreso than the Napa/Sonoma enclave. Without a profile they need to conform to, these winemakers worry more about the earth than the process. That’s not to say they’re green, they just believe in terroir-driven wines.
The color is a bit light for a Zin, and it tastes as such. This is perfect for summer though, where usually it would be quite the detractor. The nose is dark cherries and cocoa powder with a slight hint of tobacco. The wash is all red fruits, bright cherry and raspberry that gives way to a chocolate finish without any intellect. The lack of tannic structure is the flaw in the bottle. It’s not that the tannins are poorly integrated, they just don’t exist. I think this might be Daulton’s Kool-Aid.
The body is quite light for a Zinfandel, and I believe that is the highlight. What the bottle lacks in balance, it makes up for in body. Mike Schmidt had a better ass, though. He also had more consistency at 3rd than this bottle does. He would never boot routine grounders like this. All in all, it’s a solid summer wine with or without his moniker attached.
It’s priced at $17.99 in the PLCB and I have seen it all over. I would say it’s a bit pricey for the quality, but all proceeds are going to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, so pony up the ducats. Schmidt’s doing a good thing here, and I am more than happy to buy a 6 pack of these sweethearts. You’ll find it in it’s own display like the Chairman’s Selection. The PLCB code is 013754.
–Collin Flatt
Collin Flatt is a former Beer Pong champ turned oenophile. Collin Flatt spends his tax refunds on wine. Collin Flatt has his Bachelor’s Degree in drinking and is getting his Master’s Degree in winemaking. Collin Flatt is working on an Arctic Splash Cuvee. Collin Flatt writes about wine for Phoodie.info.
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