7 Deadly Zins Review
7 Deadly Zins is an old vine Zinfandel from the Michael David Winery in the Lodi region of California. For this review, we had one man (myself) and two women. Each had varying opinions.
According to the Michael David Winery website, the winery is a family business and the family has been in the region since the 1850’s. Additionally, the winery has adopted sustainable farming practices and has been certified as such.
7 Deadly Zins is a blend of old vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah grapes from seven different vineyards. Alcohol content of 7 Deadly Zins is 15.0% by volume. The name comes from Michael and David’s Catholic school upbringing.
7 Deadly Zins Review
The wine has a burgundy to purple color that makes it similar to ruby. In the glass, the 2010 7 Deadly Zins has many quick moving legs. Some light does shine through this wine, but in general, it is fairly dark.
On the nose there is a noticeable aroma of alcohol. We found the wine to be very aromatic. The aroma had subtleties that included sweet forest floor and raspberry, which agreed with the wine’s tasting notes.
For the wine’s taste we had differing opinions. I immediately noticed enjoyable fruits. One of the ladies said the initial taste was metallic, but then followed with earthy berries. Two of us found the wine to be smooth. While another noted it to be somewhat dry at the tip of the tongue.
The 7 Deadly Zins tannins were noted as round and all over the mouth. Mouthfeel was described as silky or creamy.
When it came to the finish, we all agreed this wine has a long finish that goes on and on. Also, the inital alcohol aroma was very muted at the end.
Overall, we all gave this wine a collective thumbs up. One of the tasters was not normally a red wine drinker, however she said “For a non-red drinker I like it!” Other highlights included the smoothness and the full bodied flavor. Recommend!
7 Deadly Zins price about $18.99.
My wife discovered 7 Deadly Zins wine at a local eatery, The Elusive Cow, a few years ago. After several dinners by the glass, we bough a couple of bottles bottles at a local shop, and have been buying ever since. Her tastes are more sensitive than mine; so, it has to be good. I prefer reds and it has become my favorite, enough to have bought a case recently. We have seen it by the bottle on several Viking cruise ships at well above the local price. What’s true with bourbon tastes applies to wines – it all depends upon the individual.
Thanks for the comment GG!
I agree with your thoughts on how bourbon tastes applies to wines. Definitely depends on the individual.
Cheers!
Jon
7 Deadly Zins is our “go to” wine when we’re enjoying a nice dinner with friends and family. We find it to be a rich and well blended flavor. We’ve never noticed the vintage year and have never experienced the metallic taste that some have described. All in all, it’s a great choice for the money!
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts, Joan!
On the list at one of my favorite restaurants. I used to live in Southern California, but am back in Virginia now. I truly enjoy this wine, every time I drink it. A great blend of fruity tastes, with enough gravitas to keep it civilized. I would recommend it to folks who love red wine. Enjoy.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts, Paul.
Much appreciated!
I always love it when people share their reviews. It gives everyone more perspective.
Cheers!
Jon
7 Deadly Zins is my favorite wine. I also like a few others, but 7 never fails and all my friends love it. It’s a yummy wine!
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts, David… Cheers!
My husband and I loved It! Awesome body and great buzz factor!
Thanks for commenting Mary!
I love 7 Deadly Zins. I bought it for the label first and because it is a Zinfandel from Lodi. Gnarly Head was already a fav and I thought Zins might be good too. Exceeded my expectations. Have been drinking it for years. Recently found 2017 at WalMart in Shawano WI for just $12.99. I have been buying it up. Looks like I am the only one buying it. Best price I have seen in years! It was $18 in CA 10 years ago!
Hi. I’m not a wine taster but i know what i like. While i tend towards cheap and sweeter wines, i occasionally like something more sophisticated. I have found that the 7 D-Zins mixes well with my everyday wine and gives it a really nice depth that i enjoy. I can mix it with more of the Zin if i’m feeling more cosmopolitan, or less if i just want to knock off the sweet edge.
Just my unrefined opinion. :)
Nothing wrong with creating your own blend…
Thanks for commenting Sis!
Just poured my first glass of zins. 2010. I can’t drink it. Too dry and I like Cabernets and Merlots. My husband thinks it’s ok.
Hi Sandy… Thanks for commenting. Sounds like 7 Deadly Zins wasn’t the right wine for you. It’s always disappointing when you try something and it isn’t to your liking. Here’s hoping the next wine you try is great… Cheers!
Thank you for Sharing all of the 7 Deadly Zin reviews. I am not a Zin drinker, but the wine store I work in has it, and I needed to know the overall taste. I got great feedback from you and your respondents. PS the story on the label from Michael & David is quite hysterical.
Excellent! Thank you so much for the comment and I’m pleased that the readers and I were able to be of help. Cheers Linda!
I have been drinking 7 Deadly Zins for 5 years-my favorite until recently. The 2010 has consistently had a vinegar taste-I love the smokey flavor and the silk feeling of it-so to be bitter and metallic was a disappointment. I have purchased 10 bottles in last 2 months-all 2010-only one had that fabulous taste. Have any suggestions on what to purchase next?
Hi Dinise… Thanks for commenting!
Yes, my suggestion on what to try next would be OZV Zinfandel.
It has that similar “dark” flavor and an even better price point.
Let me know if you try it and what you think… Cheers! Jon
Not happy with 7 Deadly Zins,, try a bottle of Saldo from The Prisoner Wine Company. It will cost you more that the 7 Deadly, but sometimes it is worth it. I found it at Costco at a real good price.
Thanks for the recommendation Gary… Cheers!
I recently started a job where I demo and offer samples of different wines and beer. 7 Deadly Zins is on my list for next week and I’m seeing different opinions regarding the serving temperature. I was told red wines (unless they are sweet) should be served at room temp. How shall I serve the samples of 7 Deadly Zins? Thanks for any advice you can offer!
Hi Karen… Great question! A lot of it is personal taste.
I happen to like most reds served at room temperature. But be careful, a room that is hot, like say 78 to 80 degrees is probably too warm and may make the wine taste a bit washed out. My favorite red wine temperature range is 68 to 74 degrees. To me, all the nuances come through and nothing gets muted at that temperature range.
However, Wine Spectator recommends 60 to 65 for full bodied reds.
Hope that helps a little and good luck with your new job… keep in touch!
Totally enjoyed the first 4 bottles I purchased however, this last one has an over-powering smoky flavor. Seriously wondering if it was stored in a building that had smoke damage?? Sounds crazy, but I enjoy a lot of wine – never had such a pronounced smoky nose and flavor
Interesting… Thanks Sherry!
A friend give it to me as a present, I opened it six months later, it was a really nice surprise when I opened it, it was delicious, I can say that this wine does not have a thick body, but it smells delicious , and you can feel how the aromas goes changing within the minutes , the more you move the cup, the more you feel different aromas, in the mouth after you swallow it you can feel it in your mouth a few minutes later . it is excellet with meat, I tried with strogonnoff it was a real pleasure .
Very smooth and fruity will buy again.
I recently tasted the 2011 vintage and found it quite enjoyable. I think it cost about $14. so was a good value. I detected dark fruits and a hint of pepper and found it lingered on the tongue a little but not bitter. No medal. I enjoyed it and will buy it again.
Thanks Brit!
I really like 7 Deadly Zins. I chose it for dinner at a restaurant and liked the flavor. I found it at a local store and bought a bottle. I enjoy it with a steak.
Thanks for the comment Jackie!
I was given a 2008 bottle for Christmas this year. I am not an expert on how wine is supposed to smell or taste, for that matter. I just keep buying different wines until I find one I like. I am the only wine drinker in my house. Anyway, this bottle had more of a smokey after taste to it, than a woodsy one. ( kinda like a smoked meat, it reminded me of bacon, lol.) to the point of not tasting the fruit so much. I also noticed it had some “bite” to it as it stung my tongue a little. I usually drink Merlots or sweeter wines. . I’m not sure if I like it enough to buy it myself. Just my two cents….
Thanks for the comment, Joanne. Your two cents is appreciated!
We just poured our 2009 down the drain. We speculated that this 7 deadly zin we bought at costco may have been corked, but this was the second bottle we had that tasted really earthy to the point where it may have been thought of moldy.
Thanks for the comment Jean-Marie… Hmmm a second person not thrilled with the 2009. Will have to keep an eye on opinions for this vintage.
After the 2007 and 2008 bottles ,the recent bottles fall short..I still buy the Deadly Zin though, tough to
beat that price..
Love zin…try them all..prefer Rosenblum Contra Costa County as a good price/ quality point standard. I was disappointed with off taste of Seven Deadly Zins I recently bought at COSTCO. Some kind of metallic flavor .
Thanks for the perspective and recommendation Arthur!
I do hope the new vintages are better than the one we did taste, because we were very disappointed with the 2009 vintage.
Thanks for the comment. The one we were tasting was the 2010. I updated the article to include that. We all thought it was good. If you try a later vintage than the 2009, I’d love to hear your opinion. Cheers!