A dark ruby hue, the nose presents a medley of fresh raspberry, wild black bramble berry, bergamot rind, cola and Asian spice. Showcasing a focused expression of fruit purity and delicacy, the entry on the palate builds with a focus of ripe red and black fruits towards a refreshing finish. The wine’s profile centers on drinkability and is accessible now, but can be enjoyed over the next five years.       

The 2020 vintage began with substantial rainfall in December of 2019, which re-filled our soil’s water table and allowed for beneficial mineralization of nutrients throughout the early part of winter. Below average rainfall in the first quarter of 2020, combined with above average temperatures, led to an early budbreak across our four estate vineyards. The last rains in May left us with only close to half of our typical annual rainfall for the season. Apart from March, each month of the growing season was warmer than our average, which led to a hastened season that resulted in smaller canopies and an accelerated ripening pace following an early and uniform veraison. 

Despite the low rainfall, and the historically warm spring, summer and fall, we were able to dry farm 68% of our vineyards. The dry and warm year yielded smaller berries showing a high degree of intensity and concentration. This allowed for our earliest harvest dates on record beginning on August 14^th and finishing on September 22^nd. There were two significant heat waves through our picking period – the first in the middle of August and the second around Labor Day – that impacted the cadence and intensity of our harvest. 

The earlier heatwave precipitated the lightning storm that sparked the LNU fire complex on August 17 in remote areas of eastern Napa, the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. We undertook a series of grape sampling and micro-fermentations to understand our risk and were fortunate to not find our crop impacted by these early fires. We fortunately completed our harvest prior to the Glass Fire that began on September 27, which would have posed a more direct risk to our vineyards and crop due to its proximity.

• Blend: 100% Zinfandel
• Production: 603 Cases
• Appellation: Sonoma Valley
• Vineyard: 60% Hamel Family Ranch, 40% Armor Plate Vineyard
• Harvest Dates: 8/19/20 – 9/19/20
• Fermentation: 100% Stainless Steel Tanks
• Aging: 16 months in 55% New French and Austrian Oak Casks, 45% Concrete Eggs
• Bottling Date: 3/7/22
• Alcohol: 13.0%