Chase Family Hayne Vineyard Zinfandel 2016
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
All these Zinfandels from Chase Cellars were gorgeous. The 2016 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard boasts a rocking bouquet of plums, blueberries, spice, and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, and a deep, concentrated style on the palate. It’s an incredible effort and shows the quality of the 2016 vintage.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard has an exuberant nose of crushed plums and black berries with hints of violets, baking spices and mocha. Full-bodied, rich, ripe and vibrantly fruity, it has a great core of freshly crushed black fruits and velvety tannins, finishing long with some black pepper notes coming through.
Other Vintages
2015-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
In 1998, Sarah's great-great grandson, Andy Simpson and his wife harvested grapes from a twelve-acre parcel within the Hayne Vineyard and produced their first vintage of Chase Cellars Zinfandel. Today the winery is owned by Andy's brother and sister, Mike Simpson and Katie Simpson.
Chase Cellars Zinfandel vibrantly expresses the rich history of the Hayne Vineyard and the passion of the Chase-Bourn-Hayne-Simpson family that has tenderly cared for the grapes grown in one of the world's premier vineyards for more than a century.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.