Mission Codename High Buzz
“Built like a brick house in the mouth.” – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“…a fascinating, multi-faceted look at the variety that evokes an unmistakable sense of fruity depth and potency.” – Connoisseurs’ Guide
By now you already know.
Beekeeper absolutely crushes it. The high praise seems endless. The most popular Zin of the year - maybe the wine of the year, in fact, returns! Actually, we have TWO of them for you today, a mini vertical from Rockpile’s Madrone Springs Vineyard, above the fog line at 1,200 feet elevation.
We put BEEKEEPER right at the top of the class when it comes to Zinfandel. Turley, Bedrock, and Carlisle… yea they’re all grade-A scholars too. But these guys? They’re cut from a different cloth. Their previous offers were WILDLY popular, and we heard your endless requests for more, loud, and clear!
After much begging, negotiating, and chanting quotes from “The Secret” we made it happen. The final two offers of the year. We literally scored every last case from their library they’d part with. If you leave any behind, which we highly doubt, we’ll drink ‘em!
Pop the cork and strap in for a thrill ride! This stuff THUNDERS across your palate like a low-flying Blue Angels formation dropping fruit bombs of exuberant mountain blackberry and mixed berry pie and leaving a trail of smoked bacon fat, torrefaction, and peppery spice in its wake. Terrific brightness and acidity, too! Give these some airtime for sure, and then revel in the complexity and resonance. Go out of your way for this thrill ride to match intensely flavored meals to pair, exotic Southeast Asian fare for example.
Don’t miss these TWO cellar-worthy Zins.
We wish these wines were still a secret… that said, they won’t last long.
96 Points – Connoisseurs’ Guide
“Sporting the density and muscular structure that we have come to expect in Beekeeper Zins, the latest Secret Stones offering is a fascinating, multi-faceted look at the variety that evokes an unmistakable sense of fruity depth and potency as well as yet-to-be-fully-revealed complexity. Its slowly expanding, dark berry aromas are laced with elements of soil and spice that are carried into its very solid, impressively concentrated, somewhat brooding young flavors, and, although presently slightly roughed up by its late-arriving tannins, it possesses such fruity stamina that there is simply no doubting that great things lie ahead. It belongs in the cellar for now and not at the table, and drinking it before it has had another four or five years of age would be doing it an unforgivable injustice.”
93+ Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The 2015 Zinfandel Rockpile Secret Stones is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and delivers dark fruited, earthy notions of blackberry compote, baked blueberries, and plum preserves with nuances of charcoal, scorched earth and espresso. Full-bodied and built like a brick house in the mouth, it has a firm structure of chewy tannins and lively acid supporting the densely packed black fruit and earthy layers, finishing long and savory. Drink 2018-2028.”
Tasting Profile
Tasting Profile
Look | Pitch black within, radiating a gradient of purples and blues towards the bright rim |
---|---|
Smell | Exuberant mountain blackberry and mixed berry pie and leaving a trail of smoked bacon fat, torrefaction, and peppery spice in its wake |
Taste | This stuff THUNDERS across your palate like a low-flying Blue Angels formation dropping fruit bombs |
Finish | . Terrific brightness and acidity, too, give these some airtime for sure and then revel in the complexity, and resonance |
Pairing | Go out of your way for this thrill ride to match intensely flavored meals, exotic Southeast Asian fare for example |
What the Winery Says
2015 'Secret Stones' Madrone Spring Rockpile Zinfandel
- Winemakers
- Clay Mauritson, Ian Blackburn, Emma Kudritzki
- Varietals
- 85% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah
- Vintage
- 2015
- Appellation
- Rockpile AVA, Sonoma County
- Vineyard
- Madrone Spring Vineyard
- Alcohol
- 14.4%
- Total acidity
- 6.3 g/L
- pH
- 3.74
- Bottling date
- February 22, 2017
- Aging
- 17 months
- Barrels
- 25% new French oak
- Production
- 10 barrels