Beekeeper Cellars, Zinfandel, Montecillo Vineyard, Sonoma County, 2014

Overview of the Wine

Beekeeper Cellars is the vision of best friends and co-winemakers Ian Blackburn and Clay Mauritson. The two collaborated after adventurous individual careers in the wine business, and at last, decided to work together on a project of their own.

Clay, a 7th generation grape grower, and his family found themselves the owners of a significant slice of the Rockpile Appellation, through an amazing set of historical land transactions. The Mauritson family realized the potential and parented the creation of the ROCKPILE AVA. In 1998, Ian and Clay climbed the hill and watched the Madrone Spring Vineyard get planted, while discussing the future of Rockpile and the dream it represented.

Beekeeper started with a simple vow: "craft beautiful vineyard expressions from premier vineyard sites, and reintroduce the quality wine audience to Zinfandel.” Today, we continue towards this goal. Our wines are crafted with all the attention to detail of an ultra premium Cabernet; premier vineyards, low yields, careful hand selection of fruit, artisan winemaking, quality focused, not quantity and the expensive use of time in quality French Oak barrels. Because of this meticulous approach and our mission, our wines are built to age. In fact, they require age. We strive to assure our audience that our Zinfandel is a worthy investment and that patience will be rewarded with additional cellarage. Ian, Clay, and day to day winemaker Emma Kudritzki Hall cannot be more excited about sharing their wines for years to come.

Why Beekeeper?

In the 1800s, you needed to have a noble profession gain entry into America, and Ian's great grandparents were entertainers “pre” Vaudeville, and that was NOT considered a noble profession…. quite the opposite! His family lived off the land and worked as beekeepers, hunters, farmers… and singing and dancing was part of their life. They took some liberties and said “we are beekeepers” as that was (and still is) a "noble profession." The family “bi-line” was established; “we come from a long line of beekeepers.”

Aged: 15 months in in 100% French Oak 
Production: 2904 Bottles (242 cases)

Grape / Blend

95% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah

Origin
Appellation: Sonoma Valley AVA
Vineyard: Montecillo Vineyard

Winemaker's Tasting Note
The purity and finesse of this exceptional vintage dictated the style of this bottling. One of our purest and “claret like” efforts; rich crunchy red cherry and plum, cracked black pepper, cedar, gravel, stone, and a kiss of creme brulee. Signature spice and
dried underbrush, with tender yet balanced tannins. The elevated acidity from this hillside ensures this wine will age gracefully for a decade or more. 100% french oak, 25% new provides lovely nuance in the nose and mouthfeel. Drink late 2017 - 2027.

Accolades

92 Points - Review by Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2014 Zinfandel Montecillo Vineyard from Sonoma Valley (242 cases) is a blend of 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petite Sirah. Another big-time winner from Beekeeper, this wine shows slightly less alcohol at 14.4%, but you really can’t tell the difference between this and the higher-octane models. Beautiful blackberry and black cherry is followed by spice, pepper, and plenty of body. This is a beauty – a palate-saturating, full-throttle Zinfandel to drink over the next decade.

Product size: 750ml