Winemaker Notes
Food Recommendation: This Zinfandel is especially delightful by itself. It is also a wonderful match for roast chicken, pork cutlet or glazed ham.
Winemaker's Notes: Growing conditions during the 2002 season were excellent and especially nice for Zinfandel vines in the Napa Valley. Moderate temperatures in spring and early summer were followed by cooler than normal weather in July and August, allowing slow, uniform ripening. Sugar and resulting alcohol were lessened for a smoother, more Bordeaux-like wine with satisfying balance and complexity.
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.