Winemaker Notes
Certified organic, head-trained, dry-farmed field blend of vines planted at ourwinery in the heart of Napa Valley. Red & black fruits, garrigue, and distinctive black pepper nose. Broad and deep on the palate, with further notes of Provencal herbs and earth; though most definitely a classic Napa wine, it has an almost Southern French sensibility.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep ruby in the glass, the 2022 Zinfandel Dragon Vineyard is chock-full of ripe, concentrated blue and black fruits on the nose with aromatic, floral energy. Aromas of pomegranate, blueberry, rhubarb and violets meld with conifer, turned earth and aniseed. The palate is generous and layered in its density, with staining and intense saturation, albeit with more lift and vibrancy than the nose would lead one to expect. The finish is lavish and impressive, with finely grained tannins and vibrant yet rounded acidity.
Rating: 95+
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Wine Spectator
Brambly and vibrant, with zesty black cherry and raspberry flavors that take on stony mineral, forest floor and cracked pepper flavors before ending with broad-shouldered tannins. Drink now through 2034.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon is the star of this part of Napa’s rugged, eastern hills, but Zinfandel was responsible for giving the Howell Mountain growing area its original fame in the late 1800s.
Winemaking in Howell Mountain was abandoned during Prohibition, and wasn’t reawakened until the arrival of Randy Dunn, a talented winemaker famous for the success of Caymus in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early eighties, he set his sights on the Napa hills and subsequently astonished the wine world with a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Shortly thereafter Howell Mountain became officially recognized as the first sub-region of Napa Valley (1983).
With vineyards at 1,400 to 2,000 feet in elevation, they predominantly sit above the fog line but the days in Howell Mountain remain cooler than those in the heart of the valley, giving the grapes a bit more time on the vine.
The Howell Mountain AVA includes 1,000 acres of vineyards interspersed by forestlands in the Vaca Mountains. The soils, shallow and infertile with good drainage, are volcanic ash and red clay and produce highly concentrated berries with thick skins. The resulting wines are full of structure and potential to age.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah thrive in this sub-appellation, as well as its founding variety, Zinfandel.