Winemaker Notes
This is our primary estate wine from 100% Napa Valley organically grown estate grapes. Here you will find all the richness and fruit for which Zinfandel is famous, plus the depth and structure associated with Napa hillside vineyards, and the balance for which Storybook wines are known. Crafted to be enjoyed on release, the wine's notable depth and balance will continue its appeal well into the future.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
There's something about the way zin ripens in the east-facing north of Calistoga taht appeals to me in my gut as much as in my brain. It has the freshness of blackberries picked on a hike in Point Reyes. That wild berry flavor tinges toward brighter fruit, layering vibrant strawberry, tart raspberry and cracked black pepper into a savory Napa Valley red. Yum may not be a technical term, but I wrote it twice in a 20 wine tasting, once for this wine and again for Storybrook's Antaeus. Balanced, sophisticated and elegant, this gains with air and wouild be delicious with simple roast leg of lamb.
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Wine Enthusiast
Mountaingrown fruit gives this wine an exceptional intensity and purity of flavor. Tastes like the essence of blackberries, sprinkled with black pepper, anise and cocoa. As rich as it is, the finish is perfectly dry. There’s a rusticity to the texture, but that’s why Zinfandel is Zinfandel. Drink over the next six years, especially with barbecue or fine roasted meats and root vegetables.
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.