2021 Chiles Valley Zin
-
Sensory
Eye
Deep garnet core, ruby rim.Nose
Wild strawberry jam on toasted brioche, spice cake batter, hibiscus flower, potpourri. Secondary notes of Italian leather, English lavender, Malay apple, cascades of spice, and a touch of jalapeño!Palate
Ultra-fruity yet demure, light, and elegant. Medium acidity, medium-plus tannins, medium body. Smooth with a touch of glycerine. Evokes ripe ruby red grapefruit with a dusting of Venezuelan chocolate.Cellar life
Drink now through 2035+. -
Technical
- Composition
100% Zinfandel - Vineyard source
Brown Estate
Green & Red
Storm Ranch - Appellation
Napa Valley - Barrel aging
7 months in 30% new oak, 50/50 French/American - Alc. by vol.
15.2% - Production
1000 cases in 12 x 750ml format
- Composition
-
Wherefore
In 2018 we produced our first vintage of Chiles Valley Zin to incorporate non-estate fruit, representing a dream David hatched many years ago in conversation with Jay Hemenway, our late neighbor and proprietor of Green & Red Vineyard. [We did not produce Chiles Valley Zin for the 2019 or 2020 vintages because reasons.] This 2021 bottling is the second vintage to include fruit from Green & Red as well as Storm Ranch, whose namesake Bonnie Storm (formerly of Grove 45 olive oil fame) is another longtime family friend. The anchoring Brown Estate component as always hails from our Chiles Valley block, dissected by a blue-line streambed that wedges between two steep hillsides to mimic a pass or gorge and creating a wind tunnel effect. Thanks to this waterway and an old chicken coop that predated our purchase of the property, the soils here are especially rich. The intention in expanding this wine to include components from elsewhere in the Chiles Valley is to articulate our subappellation’s virtues beyond the confines of our property.
