2006 Storybook Mountain "Eastern Exposures" Napa Valley Zinfandel

96 points Wine & Spirits: "One taste of this wine and you might forget Cabernet. In fact, this is what Napa Valley growers should consider the ideal. It's classic, beautiful, wildly fruited Zin, farmed to catch the cooler, morning sun and to hold onto its zest and elegance. Made to be transparent in color and incisive in flavor. Pure California in its memory of sage brush and desert heat. Delicious now, and likely to be more delicious 20 years from now, as Jerry Seps's wines age with grace." 95 points and three stars from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "There is a sense of seriousness that is palpable right from the start here as the wine smells deeply of ripe, keenly defined berries, rich oak, sweet soil and spice, and both its wonderfully concentrated, multi-layered flavors and its very careful construction confirm that this is a special Zinfandel in every way. It eschews runaway ripeness in favor of absolutely classic varietal fruit, and it promises to grow in refinement and polish for five years and more." (09/09) Dr. Jerry Seps and family have been making great wine for many years, and, in fact, I think Storybook Mountain is the winery that started the Zinfandel craze. The wine is big and bold but unlike many Zinfandels of today, is still balanced with structure and spice. This wine can be drunk tonight but I think if you can hold it for 2-3 years it will be the best Zinfandel you have tasted in your life. (Mike Jordan, K&L Wine Merchants)