One word, Seghesio.
As far as the evolution of the Zin wines you're experiencing presently I'd argue that they are actually devolving more toward the types of wine and expression of fruit that is typical of Croatia, where Zinfandel originated. While there are many winegrowers that are pressing the upper limits of hang time and pruning to maximize sugar content that typifies the "port" or "gooey" style that is popular with the "in crowd" there are still plenty of folks that are looking more at developing the character of the actual Zin grape in order to really express the plump and spicy character that is the hallmark of Zinfandel.
What you're seeing is an evolution in the ability to produce grapes that fully express the varietal character of the fruit while also presenting a fruit-forward, jammy, ripe and plump style of wine. This is indeed popular because most people view Zinfandel as somewhat of a mystery grape. The wine is generally pretty high octane, has a lot of very straight-forward tannin, and a distinctive mineralic spiciness that screams out for mass quantities of charred mead...preferably lamb over grapewood!
In Croatia, the Zinfandel grapes (Crljenak Kastelanski) are a very low yield fruit that are very concentrated and carry enormous varietal intensity and sugar. During the heat of the summer there is also a degree of raisin-ing that adds to the port-like character of the wine, but it isn't generally over the top like some of the Zins from California can be. Another factor is the age of the vine. That is the older the vine the more evenly the grapes will mature from top to bottom. Younger vines will yield grapes that are not as concentrated in the varietal characters, sugar, size, etc.
Managing the growth of Zinfandel grapes, like any other premium wine grape is a costly and very specialized thing. This costs money, and is the bane of the small home winemaker like me. The price per ton of Zin, Cab, Pinot Noir, Merlot etc are growing astronomical and have reached the point where the home winemaker will be laying out thousands of dollars for a ton of high quality grapes. Also factor in the demand for this type of "port" style Zinfandel and you can point the finger directly at the consumer rather than the producer.
If you want an old school Zin there are plenty out there. But you have to understand that things like drip irrigation, long hang-time, intense canopy management, and other factors involved in growing along with the newest fermentation, racking and aging techniques and equipment have driven the price of a premium bottle of Zin (old school or new school) to a new price level. There has also been a steady increase in the price range for the "fighting varietals" which a decade ago were typified in the $7 dollar range or so, and now we're seeing the same wines in the $10 and up range. So a price increase is something that comes with time and increased production costs.
Old school Zins are out there but forget paying under $20 a bottle for the most part. Look for the Seghesio 2005 Sonoma County Zinfandel at about $15/bottle. It's a wonderfully drinkable Zinfandel from one of the most consistent Zinfandel producers in California, it trends toward the old school, but has enough of the newer lust for varietal character and intensity that makes it a phenomenal value for under $20. If you want to go for some more pricey choices look at the Seghesio 2004 Old Vine, Home Ranch and Cortina. Another great Zin producer is Turley.
Cheers,
Oskaar
