PRESS & SCORES
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97 Points - Purely Domestic Wine Report
"The nose is a firm and savory tapenade with soaked cherries and camphor showing underlying espresso and mocha. The palate entry is exceptionally open and supple with textured blackberry and dark stone fruits in the core delivering mouth-coating density and sense of purity." 96 Points - Wine Advocate
"The 2017 Zinfandel Rockpile Secret Stones is a blend of 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petite Sirah, aged in French oak, 20% to 25% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant notes of baked black cherries, mulberries, plum preserves and raspberry pie with nuances of fragrant earth, exotic spices and potpourri. The full-bodied palate is decadently fruited with rich black and red fruit preserves and tons of spices, framed by soft tannins and great tension, finishing long, layered and minerally. Beautiful Zin!" 95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
"Rocking levels of plums, cedary spice, licorice, and brambly herbs emerge from the 2017 Zinfandel Secret Stones, which includes a splash of Petite Sirah and spent 18 months in just 20% new French oak. Possessing medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins, terrific mid-palate depth, and a seamless, silky mouthfeel, it’s an awesome Zinfandel, especially noteworthy given that 2017 was incredibly challenging for this variety." 93 Points - Virginia Boone, Wine Enthusiast
"From a dry-farmed site planted at 1,500-foot-elevation, this wine shows power and concentration, blended with a small portion of Petite Sirah. Tight, firm tannin weight supports earthy sage, dried herb and mocha, a whiff of mountain air elusively emanating from the glass. Dark, brooding black fruit remains fresh and vibrant, framed in a stone-like minerality." |
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Best Wines of the Year 2020
Charles Olken, Connnoisseurs' Guide Critic 97 Points - Purely Domestic Wine Report "The nose is immediately open and assertive with forward orange, plum and wild grape flecked with Demerara and cocoa powder. The palate entry is supple, polished stone fruits integrated with orange, sandalwood and nutmeg that deliver a saturated yet lively dimension to the core. Youthful on the finish. Give it a year, really." 95 Points - Wine Advocate
"The 2017 Hidden Hillside Reserve Zinfandel is a blend of 90% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah, aged in French oak, 30% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with the most fantastic perfume of raspberry preserves, kirsch, boysenberries and violets with touches of cinnamon stick and Sichuan pepper. The palate has an impactful, concentrated full body, juxtaposed by lovely freshness and fine-grained tannins, finishing long and lively." 95 points + 3 puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide
"Picking a favorite from the new Beekeeper releases each year is far from easy, but it is a task that is nothing less than a pure joy, and the winery’s three new offerings only strengthen its place as a Zinfandel maker at the absolute top of its game. The 2017 Hidden Hills Reserve, while a bit tight, is a wine of enormous depth and detail and, as expected, shows the structure and sheer fruity volume that typify Beekeeper’s very best efforts. It surprises a bit by being momentarily juicy in a way that almost tempts drinking now, but, however rich it may be in its youth, its tantalizing suggestions of certain layering to come keep us from prematurely pulling its cork. Expect no fewer than five or six years of positive growth and count on it being better yet as it reaches its tenth anniversary." 94 Points - Virginia Boone, Wine Enthusiast
"A reserve-tier wine made only in worthy years, this delivers complex, richly layered flavors of blueberry, blackberry and nutmeg with plenty of power in the glass. Blended with a small amount of Petite Sirah, it comes from two sites in Rockpile, aged 15 months in French oak. Soft, rounded and in balance within its context of concentration, it offers firm tannin, dried herb earthiness and a lasting taste of black pepper and licorice." 94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
"Lastly, the 2017 Zinfandel Hidden Hillside Reserve Blend is another Sonoma release. It includes 5% Petite Sirah and spent 18 months in 30% new French oak. This beauty boasts a vivid ruby/purple color as well as classy notes of black cherry and blackberry fruits interwoven with cedary spice, crushed flowers, and violets. It packs plenty of fruit yet stays light and elegant, with medium to full body, sweet tannins, and terrific balance. It should keep for a decade." |
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95 Points - Virginia Boone, Wine Enthusiast
#64 out of 100 Top Cellar Selection 2020 "From a volcanic site high atop the Moon Mountain region above Sonoma Valley, this impressive knockout of a wine is thick and tightly wound in its youth, yet still imparts deeply etched components of sanguine currant, dried herb and earth. Balanced and powerful, it is structured and graceful, with a juicy core of blackberry and raspberry. This will do well in the cellar; enjoy best from 2027–2030." 95 points + 3 puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide
"This extraordinarily well-crafted Zinfandel is so deep in optimally ripened varietal fruit as to be inviting right now, but it has the solidity and structural bones of a wine that promises to be nothing less than a highly collectable classic with age. It presently teases with a lovely, very generous mix of juicy, black and red berries judiciously framed by sweet oak before its grippy tannins impart a bit of tightening astringency at the finish, and, while it is never not so rough and ragged as to prohibit drinking in the relatively short term, its composition and keen balance are the sure markers of a Zinfandel that will improve for a full decade, if not more." 94 Points - Purely Domestic Wine Report
"The nose is a brambly, spiced blackberry, raspberry, licorice and a waft of pepper. The palate entry is fat and juicy ripe, sun-warmed apricot and mango. The core shows solid acidity finishing with silky tropical fruit." 93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
"Coming from a site in Sonoma, the 2017 Zinfandel Montecillo Vineyard is also terrific and offers a medium to full-bodied, pure, balanced style as well as classic Zinfandel notes of cedary spice, white pepper, currants, and blueberries. Brought up in 20% new French oak, it’s another terrific wine from this team well worth seeking out." |
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96 Points and 3 Stars - Connoisseur’s Guide
"Beekeeper has a knack for making deep and dramatic Zinfandels that show off the grape’s more serious side, and this decidedly serious edition is about as deep and well-filled as they come. It is slightly supple with very fine-grained tannins lending good vinous grip and ensuring years and years of steady growth, but it is persuasive, highly concentrated fruit that holds sway every step of the way and holds in an amazingly long finish. We admit that the age the wine deserves will not come easy, but every effort should be made to resist its present temptations and find a quiet place in the cellar where it can evolve and gain in beauty for the next half-dozen years." |
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Best Wines of the Year 2020
Stephen Eliot, Connnoisseurs' Guide Critic Lynne Bennett, Connnoisseurs' Guide Critic 95 points + 3 puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide "It has been rightly said that wine is a living thing that changes for good and bad over time, that it undergoes phases of advance and retreat, yet experience teaches that those changes, such as they may be, are almost never fundamental. A revised review, while very rare, is not without precedent here at CGCW, but we can categorically say that this month’s reprised tasting of the 2016 Beekeeper Secret Stones Zin is a happy, three-star surprise, and those who managed to put a bottle or two away will be more than happy that they did." 94+ Points - Jeb Dunnuck
"Also straight-up thrilling stuff, the 2016 Zinfandel Secret Stones includes slightly more Petite Sirah (20%) and comes all from the Rockpile Vineyard. Aged 15 months in 25% new French oak, it’s a full-bodied, deep, rich 2016 that has plenty of intensity in its blackberry fruit and notes of ground herbs, pepper, licorice, and hints of graphite. With fine tannins and a seamless texture, drink it over the coming decade or more." 93 Points - Purely Domestic Wine Report
"The nose is blueberry, dried orange slice, menthol with underlying cedar and black walnut, warm plum and brambly blackberry. The palate is a saturated black plum and blackberry nectar. Plush and silky core of sandalwood and firm red raspberry. Tasted over 4 hours. Drink 2019-2030." Inspired Citizen
"2016 was a great year in Sonoma County and the winemakers recognize this. The near perfect weather allowed for good maturation and created the perfect platform to produce something special. The winemakers tasting notes notice amazing balance and purity along combined exaggerated hang-time and provided profound color saturation. Blue and purple toned fruit skins, fresh cracked black pepper, and broader than normal character and capacity will mark 2016 as an “A+” quality vintage. This vintage was aged in French oak as well. We found it to be incredibly rich and silky." |
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97 Points and 3 Stars - Connoisseurs' Guide
"Zinfandel is rarely the recipient of the kind of swollen prose and lofty scores that are routinely thrown Cabernet Sauvignon’s way, but we suspect that even the fussiest collector of trophy wines will rethink their opinion of the variety when met with an example as deep and wonderfully well-crafted as the latest Beekeeper is. While very rich and long on exceptionally pure varietal fruit, the wine is already showing uncommon finesse and tailoring, and it is destined to age famously and grow ever more involving over the course of the next five to ten years. It is most definitely a 'keeper' and deserves a place in the cellar of every serious Zinfandel devotee." 93 Points - Purely Domestic Wine Report
"The color is impenetrable near-blackness. The nose is concentrated crushed red berry with notes of geranium and pulverized rock dust and sweet baking spice. The palate offers a black plum, deep spice essences and a finish of red raspberry and strawberry. Well focused. Drink 2019-2026." 94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2016 Zinfandel Montecillo Vineyard (there’s 5% Petite Sirah) is a classy, medium to full-bodied, elegant Zinfandel that has lots of classic blue fruits, cedar, and white pepper aromas and flavors. Aged 15 months in 25% new French oak, it has a great texture, terrific overall balance, and is a sensational Zinfandel from this great vintage." Inspired Citizen
"2016 was a great year in Sonoma County and the winemakers recognize this. The near perfect weather allowed for good maturation and created the perfect platform to produce something special. The winemakers tasting notes notice amazing balance and purity along combined exaggerated hang-time and provided profound color saturation. Blue and purple toned fruit skins, fresh cracked black pepper, and broader than normal character and capacity will mark 2016 as an “A+” quality vintage. And, the vintage was aged in French oak. We were absolutely in love with this wine." |
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93 Points - Purely Domestic Wine Report
"The nose is a Deeply Saturated meat and earth with cranberry, tapenade, raspberry and pepper. The palate entry is firm and savory meat, licorice and carbon with nectarine, blossom, raspberry and red apple. Drink 2019-2026." 96 Points and 3 Puffs – Connoisseurs' Guide
"Sporting the density and muscular structure that we have come to expect in Beekeeper Zins, the latest Secret Stones offering is a fascinating, multi-faceted look at the variety that evokes an unmistakable sense of fruity depth and potency as well as yet-to-be-fully-revealed complexity. Its slowly expanding, dark berry aromas are laced with elements of soil and spice that are carried into its very solid, impressively concentrated, somewhat brooding young flavors, and, although presently slightly roughed up by its late-arriving tannins, it possesses such fruity stamina that there is simply no doubting that great things lie ahead. It belongs in the cellar for now and not at the table, and drinking it before it has had another four or five years of age would be doing it an unforgivable injustice." 93+ Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate
"The 2015 Zinfandel Rockpile Secret Stones is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and delivers dark fruited, earthy notions of blackberry compote, baked blueberries and plum preserves with nuances of charcoal, scorched earth and espresso. Full-bodied and built like a brick house in the mouth, it has a firm structure of chewy tannins and lively acid supporting the densely packed black fruit and earthy layers, finishing long and savory. 280 cases produced." Inspired Citizen
"Cool weather in 2015 made for low yields in Sonoma County. The winemakers say that the resulting blend displays a highly spiced set of concentrated dried fruits, fresh cracked black pepper, patient pending “purple crayon” perfume, dried underbrush, and bitter sweet chocolate. The step high altitude hillsides provide defined stoney minerality characteristics, and add to the complexed nose that will continue to evolve in the bottle. The minerality in this wine gives it the perfect finish." |
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95 Points + 3 Puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide
"Striking in its depth and a bold, big-boned rendition of serious structure that begs for time in the cellar, the latest from Beekeeper is an authoritative Zinfandel of great substance and strength. Its boundless, blackberry-like fruit is enriched with integral oak and deft touches of sweet spice, and, although not in the least lacking for ripeness, it stays clear of compromising heat. It will not come into its own for a good half-dozen years, and we have no qualms about predicting that it will age beautifully and reward keeping for another decade after that. While a bit different than previous efforts from this winery in that it recalls the extra concentration of a fine Amarone, it is a collectable Zin that takes its usual place among the very best of the vintage." 92 Points - Doug Wilder - Purely Domestic Wine Report
"The nose is bright red berry with notes of sleek spice, gravel, pepper overlayed beautiful ripe cherry. The palate shows beautiful texture, weight and definition. Polished blueberry, accented with cranberry and currant. Drink 2016-2023." 92+ Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Wine Advocate
"The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Zinfandel Montecillo Vineyard has a very serious, rather broody nose of baked black plums and blackberry pie with hints of tar, chargrill, licorice and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate sports taut, muscular black fruit and a rock-solid frame of chewy tannins, with superb freshness and a very long earth and mineral-laced finish. 268 cases produced." Inspired Citizen
"Cool weather in 2015 made for low yields in Sonoma. The winemakers say that this juicy, rich, textural 2015 hillside wine boasts defined cherry, blueberry and plum skin character, with assertive cracked pepper and spice. Beekeeper makes wines that showcase both high standards and high quality fruit designations. The strict grape selection minimizes the jammy character that often masks the qualities of a top vineyard site . The high-tier aging and blending (Petite Sirah and press fractions) allows Beekeeper to find the wine’s inner balance specific to the winery. This one was our very favorite." |
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94+ Points - eRobertParker.com (April 2017)
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Zinfandel Secret Stones has a youthfully closed, rather broody nose to begin, offering glimpses of blueberry preserves, baked black berries and prunes over Christmas cake and chocolate box hints. Big, rich and full-bodied in the mouth, it really packs in the berry preserves and spice flavor layers, with a solid structure of velvety tannins and seamless acidity, finishing very long." 96 Points - Doug Wilder - Purely Domestic Wine Report (December 2016)
"An intense, saturated nose of fresh, sticky blackberry, cherry, and baking spices showing rich density, notes of juniper. The palate is gorgeous on entry with gobs of silky, sweet black currant, spicy fig and prune plums. Supple throughout, showing good acid backbone with lingering golden stone fruits on finish. Hits all the pleasure buttons. Drink 2016-2024." 95 Points + 3 Puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide (August 2016)
"Our very high regard for Beekeeperwines seems to keep getting higher with each new release, and this Secret Stones version confirms the winery’s place as one of the very best Zinfandel makers in the business. It is explosively fruity and yet genuinely complex with layered aromas and flavors of perfectly ripe berries, minerals and a wholly complementary splash of sweet oak, and its combination of concentration and structural strength is a sure guarantor of amazing longevity. We see it growing with grace for no less than a decade, and it will be still going strong after two." 95 Points - Steve Heimoff (September 2016)
"This is a big Zin, but of course, it’s Rockpile, a warm-to-hot, rocky mountain AVA in the aridly inland northwest of Dry Creek Valley, where the grapes get super-ripe and concentrated under the sere summer sun. That concentration seems to have been even greater in this drought year. “Secret Stones” is the old Madrone Spring Vineyard; the owners changed the name to avoid confusion with other wineries and vineyards that have the word “Madrone.” Whatever, this wonderful Zin is easily on a par with the 2013 Madrone Spring. It is dark, aromatic and immensely complex, with a Hulkian mouthfeel. The aroma is explosive in blackcurrants, blackberries, ripe purple plums, blueberry preserves, and black licorice, sprinkled with dark chocolate shavings, freshly-crushed black pepper and a squeeze of anisette. There’s a welcome, tart bite of green at the end to remind you of the plant kingdom. Does that sound good? It is. The flavors sink into the mouth and last for a long time into a spicy, dry finish. Rockpile’s famous tannins are powerful, but smooth and silky. I would drink this wine now; on the second night after opening, the alcohol was showing through, not a good sign for aging. The details: about 30% new French oak, alcohol 14.9%, and very good acidity for balance. A fun, heady, elegant Zin that surely is at the top of its class. What would I drink it with? Braised short ribs, but any beef or bird with the smoke of barbecue will be fine." |
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95 Points + 3 Puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide (August 2016)
"10% Petite Sirah. Absolutely saturated in color and every bit as concentrated as its appearance indicates, this intense, deeply draughted Zinfandel fully lives up to the very high standards that its label predicts. It is big wine, but it is one that does not play to over-the-top ripeness and is instead fixed on unwavering varietal fruit in its ample aromas, flavors and finish. It is also one that is both polished and structured with a great sense of reserve that confidently points the way to a long and most promising future, and it sets a Zinfandel standard that is equaled by few. " |
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92 Points - eRobertParker.com (March 2016)
"The 2014 Zinfandel Montecillo Vineyard from Sonoma Valley (242 cases) is a blend of 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petite Sirah. Another big-time winner from Beekeeper, this wine shows slightly less alcohol at 14.4%, but you really can’t tell the difference between this and the higher-octane models. Beautiful blackberry and black cherry is followed by spice, pepper, and plenty of body. This is a beauty–a palate-saturating, full-throttle Zinfandel to drink over the next decade." 94 Points - Doug Wilder - Purely Domestic Wine Report (April 2016)
"The nose is bright red berry with notes of sleek spice, gravel, pepper overlayed beautiful ripe cherry. The palate shows beautiful texture, weight and definition. Polished blueberry, accented with cranberry and currant." 96 Points + 3 Puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide (May 2016)
"Beekeeper's string of remarkable Zinfandel successes continues unbroken with this stunning new release that takes a place at the very head of the varietal class. It is both fabulously rich and charged with great fruity energy, and, while so deep and juicy as to be riveting right now, its combination of youthful reserve and altogether exemplary balance mark it is an eminently collectable wine of enormous potential that will grow for a good decade or more." |
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97 Points + 3 Puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide
"About as deep and concentrated as Zinfandel can get and still be fully fruity and remarkably vital and energetic at the same time, this superb effort not only continues the Beekeeper run of exceptional wines but stands at the top of the table for both the winery and the variety. To be sure, it is a wine of exceptional volume, and its mouthfilling palatal texture is joined by keen, pure blackberry focus with nary a hint of excess in sight. Despite tannic solidity that guarantees four to six years of smoothing, and the potential for twice that, this wine will invite early drinking. Please do not give in." 93 Points - eRobertParker.com (March 2016)
"The delicious 2013 Zinfandel Madrone Spring Vineyard from the Rockpile appellation shows plenty of hefty blackberry and briary black cherry fruit. This rich, dense wine (15.4% alcohol and a blend of 89% Zinfandel and 11% Petite Sirah) is a classic, full-throttle, pedal-to-the-metal Zinfandel. Drink it over the next 5-6 years." 94 Points - Purely Domestic Wine Report (March 2016)
"A deep concentrated nose of blackberry, wax and dried raspberry with a vibrant undertone. The palate is beautifully concentrated, ripe and lush. A very nice example! Drink 2016-2022." |
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91 Points - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
"Bright purple. Displays deeply pitched dark berry preserve, licorice and floral scents, along with smoke and vanilla qualities and a hint of mocha. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering intense blueberry and cherry liqueur flavors and a touch of fruitcake. Energetic and spicy on the powerful, persistent finish, which features supple tannins and a persistent floral element." 94 Points - eRobertParker.com (March 2016)
"Lastly, the 2012 Zinfandel Black Sears Vineyard from Howell Mountain tips the scales at 15.2% alcohol and boasts a production of 350 cases. This is 99% Zinfandel and 1% Petite Sirah from this high-elevation site in eastern Napa Valley. This sexy, deep, full-bodied, luscious wine has a dense ruby/purple color, loads of blackberry, licorice and floral notes, a full-bodied opulence, stunning purity, and a long, heady finish. This Howell Mountain Zinfandel should drink well for decade or more. Kudos to Beekeeper, as they seem to be on an impressive track of quality." 92 Points - Wine Enthusiast (October 2016)
"This hearty, rambunctious old-vine wine is juicy in blackberry and a taste of tar, full throttled in terms of intensity. White pepper and cinnamon specks provide a spiciness on the palate as the tannins settle in, making way for a fine, leathery finish." |
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95 Points + 3 Puffs - "Top Ten 3 Puff wines of the year." Connoisseurs' Guide
"Once again, Beekeeper has offered up a profound Zinfandel possessed of exceptional depth and very specific varietal personality. Its first focus on concentrated black fruits filled out by hints of ripe blueberries, roasted cream and a fleck of black pepper aromatics is paralleled by its wonderfully expressive flavors, and, yet, despite both size and intensity, there is nothing over the top about this wine. To be sure, it is not one for the faint of heart, but the rest of us are going to find its highly extracted character to be the right ticket for dishes like a garlic laden leg of lamb hot off the barbie." 94 Points - Steve Heimoff (April 2016)
"There’s a succulence to this Zin that testifies to intensely ripe fruit, which of course the grapes do get in this hot, sunny appellation that rises above Dry Creek Valley. The wine brims with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and mocha. The tannins are smooth, complex and sweet. With a briary, brambly spiciness, this really is picture-perfect Sonoma Zin. A wonderful, complete, wholesome Zinfandel, definitely big, but never ponderous. It should hold and evolve in interesting ways over the years." |
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92 Points - The Tasting Panel and The Somm Journal
"Smooth and dense, juicy and concentrated with spice, depth and rich notes of plum and blackberry; lovely and long." 96 Points + 3 Puffs - "Top Ten 3 Puff wines of the year." Connoisseurs' Guide
"This is not a wine for the faint of heart nor is it one for those who hold fast to the idea that less is more, but, as in the past, it is certain to thrill devotees of very deep, fully ripened, immensely expressive Zins who believe that generosity is not a vice. It is big but impressively balanced with wisps of briary spice and tempered oak sweetness as adjuncts to its deep and precise themes of pure blackberry fruit, and its combination of suppleness, integrated tannins and enlivening acidity bring it a real measure of crafting rare in big Zinfandels. If already tasty, as the best versions of the variety are wont to be when young, this one unquestionably has very good places to go and can only improve if allowed to sit quietly for another five or even ten years." |
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93 Points + 2 Puffs - Connoisseurs' Guide
"Intense, deeply fruity, highly ripened and layered in its mix of vital blackberry notes with a light touch of blueberry, caramelized vanilla and hints of mocha, this wine follows in the footsteps of its 3 Star sibling from the 2009 vintage. There is a rich quality here that speaks to first-class winemaking and reminds a bit of top shelf Pinot Noir, but for all that, this wine is exuberantly Zinfandel from first to last and seems likely to last in the bottle for years to come. " |
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2009 Beekeeper Zinfandel, Madrone Spring Vineyard, Rockpile, Sonoma County
By James Suckling http://www.jamessuckling.com/2009-beekeeper.html 95 Points + 3 Puffs - "Top Ten 3 Puff wines of the year." Connoisseurs' Guide
"There are more than a few Zinfandels that display impressive concentration and depth, but not many manage to combine power and polish quite the way that this stunning newcomer does. From its wonderfully rich, highly extracted aromas of optimally ripened berries and fancy oak to its lengthy, like-minded flavors, it hits all the right varietal marks, yet it gives the impression that it has not begun to really show its stuff, and it could be another five years before it finds its fullest voice. It may not be cheap, but it is one that collectors will not want to miss." |