Variety: 98% zinfandel, 2% petite sirah
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Sensory Notes: Awarded 92 points by Connoisseurs' Guide, Maple Vineyards has yielded a silky and sophisticated wine.Once again, Maple Vineyards has yielded a silky and enticing wine, with lovely aromas of boysenberry jam, cola and ripe dark fruit. On the palate, a rich, creamy mouthfeel supports flavors of blackberry, mocha and black cherry, with a hint of crushed-rock minerality adding sophistication to the long, supple finish.
Vineyard Notes: Fruit for the Maple Vineyards zinfandel comes from two very special blocks of this benchland property in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley. Tina and the late Tom Maple have dedicated their lives to producing some of Dry Creek’s finest head-trained, dry-farmed zinfandel grapes. The red clay loam soils provide elegant structure and balance to this wine, while Dry Creek’s warm climate ensures bright fruit flavors. To accentuate this wine’s complexity, the final blend includes grapes from Lily Hill (5%) and Big River Ranch (2%).
Cellar Recommendations: Enjoy this wine through 2025.
"This one from the Maple Vineyard ranks as our favorite in a very good bunch owing to its combination of richness and structured solidity. It is never hesitant in any way, yet it conveys a sense of reserve and an inkling of early polish despite assuming a sturdy, fairly muscular stance. It is a wine of considerable potential, its outgoing fruit notwithstanding, and it will not start showing its best until another three to five years have come and gone."
92 Points, Connoisseurs' Guide