Winemaker Notes
Intense red-black fruit, with a touch of warmth from the dry year. Intense floral aromas pop out on top. Rich, dense and more tannic than usual, this is a meaty Zin, and yet the olive-mineral character that I find natural to Napa Zin manages to stick out through the density, giving the wine its classic balance. A very cool cellar temp (around 50°F/10°C) really brings out its floral-savory lift.
Blend: 85% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 1% Carrignane
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A refined, claret style Zin that’s handsomely structured. Laced with vibrant cherry, licorice, forest floor and white pepper tones that build richness toward fine-grained tannins.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.