2016 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Eastern Exposures Zinfandel | Napa Valley California 750ml

This special cuvee is presented to show just how elegant, fragrant and balanced Napa hillside Zinfandels can be. It is a step beyond vineyard designation, and represents style as much as place. It is the balance and finesse of east facing vineyards that give the wine its name. The selection criteria emphasize aroma, middle-palate and finish berries with hints of flowers, minerals and spice in the aroma; multi-layered and rich flavor on the broad and supple middle palate; and an intense, clean and lingering impression on the finish. A touch of Viognier is added to enhance the intriguingly exotic and sensual quality of this very special wine. | Storybook Mountain Vineyards

You can taste the cool morning sun in this wine. Set aside the ideal conditions for zinfandel - the red volcanic soils on a steep hillside facing northeast, and the care with which Jerry Seps selected the vines and tends them. Forget the crunchy apple and blueberry briskness of the tannins, and the black-raspberry and blackberry richness of the fruit. And just consider that after tasting more than a hundred wines over the course of two days, this is where I wrote, 'I want to drink this'" | 93 points, Joshua Greene for Wine & Spirits