We aim to make wine that reintroduces the quality wine audience to Zinfandel. Our favorite compliment “I don’t usually like Zinfandel, but I love yours.” We aim to build a reputation for quality inside the Cabernet and Meritage audience that has more in common with our style. We made this wine with all the attention and quality of the great wines we position ourselves around, and while some may not appreciate the premium effort and costs involved, we are resolved to make great wine that requires some patience and can reward additional cellarage.

The drought influenced 2015 vintage started with cool stormy conditions, resulting in a difficult flower set and chicks and hens (small unfertilized berries) in the clusters. Extensive table sorting resulted in tiny yields and smaller than average berry sizes with lower than normal acidity but with great concentration and an abundant nose.

The resulting blend displays a highly spiced set of concentrated dried fruits, fresh cracked black pepper, patient pending “purple crayon” perfume, dried underbrush, and bittersweet chocolate. Our step high altitude hillsides provide defined stoney minerality characteristics and add to the complexed nose that will continue to evolve in the bottle. The ripe forward nature of 2015 is unique, and should allow 2015 to be accessible earlier but will reward considerable time in the cellar.