Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Jerry Seps nurtures this wine from the pruning of his organically farmed vines to selecting the barrels he and his daughter Colleen believe to hold the most promise for long development. From a vintage with plenty of winter rain and few summer days approaching 100°F, his 2019 Estate Reserve has the stamina to live for decades. For now, it’s fragrant with plum and quiet woodland scents of mushrooms and pine. The wine’s full-on power is tamed by the grace of zinfandel grown on a steep, northeast-facing hillside of red volcanic soil, a cool site with ideal conditions for elegant zin.
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.