Sky Old Vine Zinfandel 2012

Sky Old Vine Zinfandel is a bottle-aged Zinfandel from the original 1972 planting on Mount Veeder.

Lore Olds put those vines in the ground himself, and they survived fire, drought and decades of winter storms before the 2017 fires took all but half an acre of the block. What little remains now goes into the standard bottling, so this is the last word on a genuinely historic piece of Napa hillside. Four rows of dry-farmed vines on St George rootstock supplied it. The 2012 season was warm and even after a difficult 2011, giving ripe, structured fruit, and the winemaking follows the estate Zinfandel: open-top ferment, the 1906 hand-crank press, used oak, then years in bottle before release.

A decade on, the variety has stepped back and the site has taken over: mellow raspberry, resin, black tea, earth and spiced meat, over braided tannin and plenty of acidity. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. Roast lamb, mushroom pasta, or a plate of charcuterie.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.