2019 Highlands Zinfandel Oakville Napa Valley 750 ml

Paul and Dave of Highlands Winery are the definition of Napa Valley veterans, and they’ve parlayed their connections into a TINY lot—just 400 cases—of classic, old-school Zinfandel from the big-money Cabernet country of Oakville. Grown on a patch of land just out of view of Highway 29 and just to the north of $325 Cardinale, it’s a wine that makes us want to scour the Valley for the secret Zin sites that still endure.

“We’ve been buying the same rows year after year for 12-15 years,” Paul told us, when we caught up over lunch in Yountville. “What we strive to do is make an elegant Zinfandel, as close to Cabernet as possible. Not an over-the-hill raisin-bomb, but a wine with an elegant feel—smooth, and not too high in alcohol. That’s tough to do.”

But Paul, Dave, and their winemaker Bradley Smith have succeeded. Wildly. Showing a vibrant ruby color, their 2019 Zin is bursting with aromas of dark plum, black cherry, and lush violets, with spice notes of cinnamon and star anise. It’s just as exciting on the palate, showing depth and concentration carried on an elegant frame. Aged in 1/3 new French oak for 23 months, it finishes super-long with gentle tannin and gorgeous wood nuances.

Paul Segas acquired top vineyards in the 1970s, and they earned him a roster of A-list winery clients like Joseph Phelps, Chateau Montelena, and Robert Mondavi. For Highlands, he partnered with Dave Cofran—a UC Davis grad from the class that produced winemaking talents like Justin Meyer and Ric Forman—and they’ve become consistent hit-makers. This Zin is just another smash.