Winemaker Notes
-Wine Advocate
This vineyard is located almost 1400 feet above the Napa Valley on the eastern slope of the Vaca range. The sparse producing vines are grafted to the 100-year old Hambrecht clone of Zinfandel. The hillside location, sparse production, small berries, and mountain climate adds a tremendous intensity to the wine. This exotic mountain Zinfandel exhibits ripe cherries and blackberries with hints of dark currants, Asian spices and vanilla. It has a good tannin and acid backbone, which makes cellaring for 5-7 years a worthwhile effort. It definitely is a Zinfandel that will roar when you pair it with a Rack of Lamb or grilled Venison.
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.