2016 ELYSE ZINFANDEL KORTE RANCH VINEYARD, ST. HELENA NAPA VALLEY

Korte Ranch should be known by every fan of Old Vine Zin. The vineyard was initially planted in the 1890s, and it sits in the narrowest part of Napa Valley, off of Ehlers Lane in St Helena.  That location is warmed by Mountains on each side and cooled by strong breezes at night. The ancient, dry-farmed vines reach deep into the soil for moisture and offer a vivid expression of terroir. Elyse has been making wine from Korte Ranch for 17 vintages, and they’ve managed to showcase the power of the vineyard and present it with finely-tuned elegance.

The winemaking team, led by powerhouse winemaker Russell Bevan has every tool necessary to make world-class wine. At the winery, they use optical sorters, and state-of-the-art shaking tables along with tracking software to select only the best berries.

Korte Ranch is a pre-prohibition vineyard. Like many in that era, the blocks that Elyse sources their Zin from are blended with approximately 89% Zinfandel, intermixed with other varietals like Petite Sirah, Carignane, Valdiguié, and Grand Noir. This mix of grapes adds a natural element to the wine’s complexity that cannot be duplicated by a single varietal.