2002 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley)

Mike Officer, a self-described cork dork who had a wine cellar while at college, describes 2001 as "a killer vintage, precocious from the get-go."With the 2002s, he went on, "it took longer for the wines to show their stuff.We had better acidity levels across the board. The result is that the wines are less flattering early."Officer's comment on why he prefers big, rich, fruit-forward wines might help to explain why many consumers love full-blown California reds. I get home at the end of the day following a two-hour commute. I've got three kids of my own, and they've got some friends over who I've never seen before. There are three TVs going in the house. I don't have the peace and quiet to sit with a wine of contemplation. I need a wine I can appreciate over the noise."Officer, whose annual production reached 3,500 cases with the 2002 vintage, was on the verge of giving up his day job as a software designer in favor of full-time winemaking when I tasted with him in late February. Prices remain very reasonable here.