Black Sears, Zinfandel, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, 2021

Overview of the Wine
The Black Sears vineyards lie  nestled among hundreds of acres of wild oak forests at the top of Howell Mountain. Approximately twenty-four acres of the four-hundred-twenty acre ranch have been planted as vineyard over an east-facing hillside where an apple orchard once stood.

Looking down from high above the valley fog, the vineyard shares its home and its view with black bears, mountain lions, hawks and rattlesnakes. At just over 2400 feet, it is the highest vineyard on Howell Mountain and is among the highest vineyards in all of Napa Valley. The unique climate of Howell Mountain produces wines with a firm structure, intense fruit flavors, earthy spice, and round acidity. The ashy, iron-laden soils are perfectly suited for growing full-bodied, peppery Zinfandel and earthy, rich Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. These mountaintop conditions and the varied hillside microclimates combine to produce wines of complex structure, incredible intensity, and the intrepid flavors of a remote and distinctive terrain.

Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown

Grape / Blend
Zinfandel

Black Sears Estate Zinfandel is a dark, fig purple, highlighted by a ring of Persian plum red at the glass's edge. The nose opens with boysenberry and prunes before evolving into notes of white pepper, leather, and the floral hints of lavender and daphne. On the palate, this is a rich, voluptuous Zinfandel that offers an abundance of ripe, dark fruit and a slightly higher pH than usual. In contrast to the 2018, the 2019 is soft and welcoming from the start, blossoming into a bouquet of black cherries, graphite, and vanilla. By the time it hits the back of the throat, the classic Black Sears earthiness finally makes its entrance, staying true to its origins here at the top of Howell Mountain, where unparalleled biological diversity is the essence of the terroir.