You know how much we love Zin here, Operatives, and you also know how discerning we are when it comes to “America’s red”. So when we say a Zin blew our mind, we mean it from the bottom of our glasses! When we decided on uncovering WHY this Zin, which we keep featuring with new vintages, by the way, is so good, something fascinating hit our Curation Chief Agent Noir. He lives on the foothills of Taylor Mountain and often hikes up to the peak from where even San Francisco gets visible, along with the few vineyards that are scattered through the ruggedness up here at about 1,500 feet elevation. In wondering who would be bold enough to farm where mountain lions and rattlesnakes dwell, Agent Noir was pleasantly surprised to meet the brave grower behind this exquisite red.

Purple, black and blue all over, with a slender but radiant bright deep pink rim. Fascinating blueberry jam, ripe red cherry, date, porcini, and cardamom notes make up the hard to stop sniffing nose. A ripe and juicy mouthfeel, with layers of plum, blackberry, and cedar in a zesty, lively style. Compellingly long, young and vibrant with brambly berry fruit basket character on the extroverted finish. This is the perfect red for a dry rub Tennessee style barbecue feast, with coleslaw, corn on the cob and what not.

Randall Watkins went on to work for some of California’s best-known wineries, like Buena Vista Winery and Hartford Family Winery in Sonoma County, Carmen Vineyards in Chile, and as assistant winemaker at S. Anderson Vineyards in Napa and more recently at an Operative-favorite winery, Bugay Vineyards in Napa. Like we implied in the get-go, it takes a lot to impress our tasting panel with a Zinfandel, and this one surely passed the test, and then some!