Hendry

This grower/producer has been making wonderful Zinfandels for a long time now and this one from what George Hendry calls Block 28, could be one of his best.

From a fabulous vintage (perhaps better than the highly-touted ’01) the grapes are grown at the base of Mount Veeder in western Napa, and come from a small (4.17-acre) block that is 160 feet above sea level and has thin, stony Boomer series soils. The vines were planted in 1995 using St. George roots and grafted with bud wood selected from an old vine Zinfandel vineyard. The vines are spaced 6.8 feet by 5 feet, cordon trained and spur pruned. A vertical trellis system supports the cordon and the canopy.

Yield was 4.0 tons per acre. Aging was 14 months in 100 percent French oak barrels, 50 percent of which were new.

Although the alcohol is a whopping 15.8 percent(!), one is hard pressed, believe it or not, to notice because somehow, it’s well-integrated. The black fruit aromas are subdued, while on the palate, there’s a backbone of tar and mineral before the fruit kicks in at mid-palate. What remains is an elegant sheen in the mouth and a long finish. The tannins are evident and portends a great wine. Hold onto it for a couple of years and then enjoy it over the next 15. There only 1,390 cases produced. The price is $31.

Reviewed February 14, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.