Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I tasted seven cuvées of 2013 Zinfandel from Napa. The 2013 Zinfandel Heminway Vineyard comes from the high-elevation Vaca Mountains in northeastern Napa. Located at the end of Howell Mountain, just north of Pritchard Hill, at an elevation of 1700 feet, the grapes come from vines planted in 1915 and grown in mineral-laced sandy soils. Blueberry and blackberry fruit dominate this dense ruby/purple-colored wine, which has one of the more saturated colors of the 2013s. Full-bodied, rich, pure, intense, exuberant and lusty, this beauty combines both power and elegance into a multi-dimensional, world-class, dry red wine that just happens to be made from 100% Zinfandel. Drink it over the next decade.
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.