93 Points - Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Gold Medal - 2019 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge
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. Food-friendly and pairs beautifully with a wide array of dishes, such as sausage pizza, grilled shish-kabobs or roasted rack of lamb.
Vintage: For the third year in a row, Napa Valley experienced an exceptional vintage, aided by near drought conditions. The yield was smaller than 2013, due to drought and a warmer growing season. July’s relatively low temperatures, coupled with high relative humidity, slowed down sugar accumulation to achieve perfect ripeness with lower alcohol. Harvest started and ended about two weeks earlier than normal, producing superb quality.
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: 14.8%
Fermentation: indigenous yeast
Harvest date: Sept 16- Oct 4, 2014
Sugar: 24.8% degrees Brix at Harvest
Bottling date: March 2016
Release Date: December 2017
Total acid: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.74
Time in oak: 16 months
Type of oak: French oak
Blend: 97% Zinfandel, 3% Petite Sirah
94 Points
Decadent, rich, and supple. Aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, crushed stone, dried herbs, and cedar lead into layered notes of cassis, fennel, baked plums, mocha powder, and cigars dusted with roasted Herbs de Provence, earth and red volcanic mineral notes. Full-bodied and rich, with a firm spine of racy acidity and ultra-fine, gravelly tannins that carry the lasting, mouthwatering finish.
93 Points
Aromas of blackcurrant, dark plum, and cedar unfold alongside soft notes of vanilla and toasted oak. On the palate, structured tannins frame layers of black cherry, baking spice, and a subtle herbal lift from the Merlot blended beneath the Cabernet's backbone. Medium-bodied gem with good concentration finishing long and warm, with lingering impressions of cocoa and dried fig.
94 Points
A full-throttle, blackberry-driven red, laden with chalky minerality and layered with robust tannins. Violet scents mingle with fig and plum fruit in a medium- to full-bodied expression that hits all the right chords, delivering a pleasing one-two punch to the senses.
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