Winemaker Notes
The small, individual lots of fruit were destemmed into a combination of stainless steel tanks and open top fermenters, where whole-berry fermentation took place for an average of 20 days. The wine was barrel aged for 14 months in 50% new American Oak and the balance in once used tight grain French Oak. No conventional pumps were used in the making of this wine. Only diaphragm air pumps, forced air pressure movement, or bulldogging, and transfers by gravity were employed to preserve the pure fruit integrity in the wine.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Offered at a great price, this blends 63% Zinfandel with smaller amounts of Charbono, Petite Sirah and Syrah. A mix of bramble berry and lifted acidity blends with plenty of gamy black pepper, toasted oak and baking spice to round out the picture.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Scout's Honor is a blend of 63% Zinfandel, 16% Charbono,12% Petite Sirah and 9% Syrah. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it sings of raspberry pie, kirsch and Chinese five spice, with hints of dusty soil, tobacco and dried herbs. The full-bodied palate offers chewy tannins and a refreshing line, finishing on a lingering aniseed note.
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.