(2022) Old vine Zinfandel weighing in with 14.8% alcohol, blended with around 10% Petite Sirah and other red varieties aged in French and American oak. Big and bountiful nose, crammed full of berries and spices, rich in dark chocolate and presenting that unique Zinfandel blast of hedonistic pleasure. Succulent and juicy on the palate, it is equally expansive with its fruit depth, but there is some structure and an edge of precision to the welter-weight of plump and sweet black fruits. The long finish cannot help but bring a smile to your face.
(2017) The wine commemorates Tom Simpson, and English rider, Olympian and first British cyclist to don the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. Sadly, he collapsed and died on the rigorous Mont de Ventoux climb in the subsequent Tour aged just 29. A donation from each bottle sold goes towards the upkeep of his memorial. The wine is mostly Syrah with a little Grenache, opening with a ripe and nicely lifted nose of red plums and violet, a bright fruit character with a hint of white pepper. In the mouth it is full, ripe and serious, a little creaminess detected on the nose giving way to a more taut, mineral-infused palate, but that gives lovely drive towards the finish.