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Drops 12/1

Flesh x Stone

Wine Specs & Profile +

Tasting Notes

Blackberries

Black Currant

Blueberries

Leather

Black Pepper

Fruity

Savory

Red Fruit

Black Fruit

Light

Robust

Wine Story

Temptation, bound between flesh and stone.

From the peak of Howell Mountain comes a Zinfandel-blend so erotically dark and delicious that you'll wonder how deep pleasure can go.

Perched atop Howell Mountain sits the legendary Black Sears Vineyard. At 2,400 feet in elevation, this divine vineyard sits above the fog line in the heavens, making it one of the highest vineyards in Napa Valley. Originally an apple orchard, this site was planted to vineyards in the 1970s and is heralded for its sustainable farming rituals. One remarkable characteristic is its soil composition. Comprised of volcanic tuff, iron-rich clay, and stone deposits, the vines struggle to reach nutrients, creating fruit with concentrated flavor and a signature black pepper spice.

Working with this iconic site is an opportunity few winemakers get, and none turn down. It's the type of vineyard with deep lore and status within Napa Valley and beyond. We knew we had to go all out when making a wine from this site, so we did.

On the morning of September 14, 2022, we summited Howell Mountain to pick our fleshy Zinfandel under a glorious sunset. Once back to our winemaking garage, we carefully de-stemmed each cluster, applied delicate maceration, and then left the juice on the skins for about 30 days to soak up the intense flavors, spice, and color. From the onset, we thought we had something magical. And after about 20 months in neutral French oak barrels, we knew we did.

As a muse, we choose to blend this Zinfandel with Syrah from the Frediani Vineyard in Calistoga. Known also for its concentrated flavor and white pepper spice, we felt this would be the perfect companion. For added structure, we also blended in Napa Valley Merlot and Petit Verdot.

The result is a dark, tempting, and luscious wine. Inky in the glass, with overflowing aromas of blackberry cobbler, spice, and leather. Once it passes your lips, your tongue will become enveloped in dark, concentrated flavors of blackberries and blueberries, complemented by the Black Sears pepper spice, softly integrated tannins, mouthwatering acidity, and a finish that will leave you panting. Pair this with braised oxtail, Porchetta, Korean barbecue, or a candlelit bedroom.

It's rare to taste a wine that marries decadence with complexity like this one does. We owe its dense, sensual flavors to the fleshiness of the Zinfandel grape. The mélange of intriguing spices, on the other hand, are the result of its stony soils. Conceptually, we became seduced by this idea of Flesh x Stone.

Which leads us back to our longtime collaborator: artist René Garza. Known for their clever and provocative collages, René is able to meld classical art with modernist imagery to create subversive messages and innuendo.

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