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Napa Zinfandel is Affordable and Classic: Z-52 Wines Truchard Vineyard 2005 and Wall Cellars 2006

Zinfandel has roots in Napa, only fewer of them now. You think Cabernet when you think Napa. Fortunately, there are Zin growers in this, California's highest priced appellation. Fortunate I say, because Zin grown here has the potential to yield a different glass of wine than Zin grown anywhere else. Some would say it's more "claret-like", as Alan Goldfarb put it, in his 2007 Appellation America article, Zinfandel in Napa.

Zinfandel being my favorite wine grape, I appreciate the differences in personality between say, Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Amador, Lodi and Lake County. They're all powerful, but Napa's Zin power is the most classic and elegant, the least defined by jammy fruit or overtly high alcohol levels. Compare that to Paso Robles' decadence, Lodi's "smokin' hot", port-like nature, Sonoma's bold intricacies, Lake County's natural punch, and Amador's concentrated robustness.

Z-52 Truchard Vineyard 2005 is deep purple ruby in color. The aromas include dominant black cherry, plus bourbon spice and vanilla, ash, pipe tobacco and a somewhat raisin-y dried fruit character. On the palate, expect more black cherry and mixed pepper spice plus ground mace display over a dusty, dry, firm frame. An addictive and timeless glass of Napa, this is.

Price: $16 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14.3%.

Wall Cellars 2006 is bright purple ruby in color, candy apple red at the edges. Raspberry dominates the aromas, with supporting tones of cedar spice, cut hay, oregano, and menthol tobacco. Raspberry on the tongue combines with baking spice, white pepper and dusty fine tannins. The fruit is nicely restrained and the finish very dry, making this about as elegant as a Zinfandel gets, especially at its humble price.

Wall Cellars is the second label for Twenty Rows.

Price: $14 (Nashville). Closure: Screw cap. Alcohol content: 14.8%.

Rock Solid Bargain: Bodegas El Chantre Ramos-Paul Ronda Proprietary Red 2004

Don't be surprised if a few bargains pop up in this recession. Here's a terrific wine that I found on sale here in Nashville. At its release price of around $50 and up, it was beyond my reach. But at $20, I took it home.

This is the kind of high-end wine I like, and wouldn't be disappointed if I had to pay the regular price. This is a very firm wine with a unique sensibility, a wine with longevity; some would say terroir. Some high-end wines are designed to appeal to people in higher income brackets. Ramos-Paul is something more rare than that, more genuine.

Ramos-Paul 2004 originates from southern Spain in Andalusia, near Ronda. This is a rocky area, very rocky. Bodegas El Chantre is owned by José Manuel Ramos-Paul, hence the namesake for this wine. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Tempranillo, 15% Syrah, and 10% Merlot.

There's plenty of debate about whether you can smell rocks, or other pure terroir characteristics in wine, but that was the first thing I picked up on in this wine. Then the perfumed fruit, spice and roasted notes materialized. Those aromas include blackberry liqueur, cedar, framboise and even dark chocolate and tobacco shop. On the tongue, this is a very young, big, bold wine. If you have one of those ingenious decanting devices, here is a wine to test it on. I like the very firm, gravelly, perhaps even chalky tannins. The fruit is liqueur-like, but bone dry of course. By liqueur-like, I mean intense and pure, not at all sweet. The finish demonstrates this wine's longevity.

Price: $20 (Nashville, Sale). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.