Winemaker Notes
Med-ruby color. Pretty, layered, complex nose with rich berry, spice, vanilla and cocoa. Jammy fruit on the entry, medium-bodied, with a smooth transition to moderate tannins on the palate.
Pair with steaks and burgers on the grill, roasted lamb, dry-rubbed brisket or oven-roasted tomatoes. The moderate fruit and balanced levels of tannins will make this wine work with a wide range of flavorful foods.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
The Hendrys planted this four-acre block in 1998, with cuttings selected from old vines at the Brandlin Ranch on Mount Veeder. It produced a fresh and clean zin in 2016, with lasting notes of mint and grape-skin spice. The tannins turn a little warm and bitter in the end, making this a savory red for pasta with a meaty wild-mushroom ragù.
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.