Please excuse the French, but your past vintages of Zin knock the #&*! out of the grotesque, over-alcoholic monsters that most American critics rave about. Haven't tasted the 1997 or 2002, but of the rest, my absolute favourites were the 1999 and 1991 ... absolute stars. The 1999 for the potential of its intense, crunchy-berry fruit, if you can keep your hands off it long enough. And 1991 for youthful 13 years of age. The acidity in these two wines was sensational. Not just the level of acidity, but the type of acidity and its integration with the fruit.

Tom Stevenson