Winemaker Notes
The wine's intriguing nuances of crushed black pepper and spices are classic old vine Zinfandel characteristics. The small grapes of old-clone Zinfandel vines yield deep, forward-fruit expression, which we have captured with gentle handcrafting.
Over half of the grapes were grown in our historic To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, complemented by grapes from other distinguished head-trained, dry-farmed vineyards. To enhance the supple, velvety texture, we matured the wine in French chateau barrels for eleven months."
-Associate Winemaker Steve Leveque
Professional Ratings
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.