Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Even better, the 2016 Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard Reserve is heavenly stuff and anyone who loves Zin, or good wine for that matter, should do whatever they can to taste this elixir. Blueberries, blackberries, licorice and toasty oak nuances all soar from the glass and this awesome wine has beautiful purity, fine tannin, and an incredible opulence paired with an elegance that’s just about off the charts. It’s going to keep for two decades.
Barrel Sample: 95-97 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Zinfandel Reserve Hayne Vineyard displays a medium to deep garnet-purple color, giving up notes of crushed red currants, black raspberries and black berries with hints of dried mulberries, forest floor, incense and cloves. Full-bodied, concentrated and offering layers of red, black and blue fruits, the chewy palate is incredibly spicy, finishing with a refreshing herbal lift.
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.