2024 Judge Bell
Zinfandel

Harking from own-rooted vines planted in 1907, and named for the eponymous (and notorious) Judge Bell, who settled along what is now Bell Road and presided over the nearby town of Plymouth during its Gold Rush heyday. The vineyard sits at 1,500 feet elevation, and the 2024 opens with bright red berries, crushed granite, mountain mint, and the sun-dried herbs of the Amador foothills. This 119-year-old vineyard's short growing season gives the wine a vivid freshness, while its granitic soils bring a fine, mouthwatering texture. Round through the middle yet charged with electric energy, Judge Bell balances acidity and tannin with unusual ease. It is fragrant, lively, and exceptionally food friendly—a wine that seems to awaken everything around it.