Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Deeply fruited, wonderfully alive and layered with the polish that we have come to expect from this estate, this very vigorous young Zinfandel is as varietally precise as it is impeccably balanced. It is, as is typically the case with the best efforts from Storybook Mountain, a wine that begs for time in the cellar, and its remarkable stamina, its ongoing sense of composure and its unwavering focus add up to an eminently collectable offering that will impress more and more as the years pass. Please be in no hurry here.
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.