Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This is what Napa Valley growers should consider the ideal. It's classic, beautiful, wildly fruited zin, farmed to catch the cooler, morning sun and to keep hold of its zest and elegance...Delicious now, and likely to be more delicious 20 years from now, as Jerry Seps' wines age with grace.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
There is a sense of seriousness that is palpable right from the start here as the wine smells deeply of ripe, keenly defined berries, rich oak, sweet soil and spice, and both its wonderfully concentrated, multi-layered flavors and its very careful construction confirm that this is a special Zinfandel in every way. It eschews runaway ripeness in favor of absolutely classic varietal fruit, and it promises to grow in refinement and polish for five years and more.
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.