Grgich Hills
2016 Zinfandel
, Napa Valley
Estate Grown

93 Points - Wilfred Wong
91 Points - Tastings.com, October 13th 2020

This rich and full-bodied Zinfandel is graced with an elegant structure and richly nuanced flavors of blackberries and ripe cherries.  A subtle waft of roasted coffee beans and lightly toasted almonds entwines with soft raspberries in a luxuriously long and persistent finish.  Quintessential Napa style... bursting with flavor, yet structured with a long life ahead.  In a line-up of Napa Zinfandel, it always shines.

Pairs beautifully with a wide array of dishes, such as sausage pizza, grilled shish-kabobs or roasted rack of lamb.

Vintage: The string of near perfect vintages continued for the fifth year in 2016, with an early bud break and flowering followed by sunny days and relatively mild temperatures throughout the growing season. We were able to have almost all our grapes safely in the cellar before the valley’s first significant fall rainstorm arrived on October fourteenth.

Vineyard: Their 34-acre vineyard above Calistoga is the warmest of the five vineyards and the sole source of our Zinfandel. Its northeast exposure catches abundant morning sun but is shaded from the hot, late afternoon sun and combined with the vineyard’s gravelly loam soils, creates the perfect spot to grow this varietal. They farm all of their vineyards naturally, without artificial pesticides or herbicides, and they are certified organic.

Winemaker's Notes:
Alcohol: 14.2%
Fermentation: indigenous yeast
Harvest date: Sept 19-27, 2016
Sugar: 23.5% degrees Brix at Harvest
Bottling date: April 2018
Release Date: April 2021
Total acid: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.85
Time in oak: 18 months
Type of oak: French oak
Blend: 100% Zinfandel

Tasting Notes  PDF

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