91pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The exact proportions and origins of the 2020 Zinfandel Blend 8 Years in the Desert are deliberately kept fuzzy by the winery, but the wine does include Petite Sirah, Syrah and Barbera in addition to Zin. Aged in roughly half new oak, the nose brings an overlay of vanilla to a core of ripe blackberries. Full-bodied and open-knit, it adds briary, herbal notes on the palate, plus a bit of cracked pepper. Soft, dusty tannins mark the finish, along with hints of mocha and bittersweet chocolate. Drink it over the next several years.

90pts Wine Spectator

A bold and brawny blend, offering straightforward dark berry and savory spice flavors. Ends with a peppery accent. Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Barbera.

Winemaker Notes

Bright violet in the glass, the 2020 8 Years in the Desert is the epitome of our style, the reason we are even here in the first place. As it’s being poured, the aromatics hit squarely on the nose with a perception of sweetness: pure brambly raspberry juice and blueberry preserves with a hint of white pepper and High Sierra forest floor. Yet, the perceived sweetness on the nose is just that, perceived, and doesn’t carry through to the palate. Lush and enveloping with a beam of acidity, notes of blackberry pie, plum and kirsch flourish. Ultra-round tannins and lingering raspberry, the wine finishes in slow-motion.