2021 Hendry Zinfandel Block 28 Napa Valley 750 ml

Not every block of Zinfandel at Hendry’s northwest Napa ranch is created equal.

Back in 1998, George Hendry got his hands on some cuttings from the legendary Brandlin Ranch on Mount Veeder. He used them to plant Block 28 on a four-acre benchland parcel, and today those 25-year old vines are responsible for this stunning flagship Zinfandel.  

Finding this bottle is tough. Block 28 produces a small quantity of spice-tinged Zin that seldom sees retail shelves, but when you get your hands on one, you understand why this wine carries the day for Hendry. 

The Block 28 is poised from start to finish, with an underlying tension that keeps everything lifted and balanced. Its warm black plum and dried herb flavors give way to nuanced notes of rosemary, dark strawberry, lavender, blackberry, and a kiss of sage, accentuated by tones of cracked pepper and dried spices. It’s a tour de force from the great 2021 vintage.

To walk through Hendry’s property is to walk through some of Napa’s most meticulously farmed vines. Their quality is so legendary that, before the Hendry family started bottling their own wines, Robert Mondavi funneled the estate’s Cabernet grapes into Opus One. Then Zinfandel master Kent Rosenblum put the Hendry name in the spotlight with his spectacular George Hendry Reserve Zinfandel.

Owner George Hendry planted Block 28 in 1998 using ancestral budwood from old-vine Mt. Veeder vines known for producing complex and spicy wines. Hendry is among the very few Napa estates that successfully dry farms its vineyards, a common practice in Europe that helps accentuate terroir and vintage expression. The vineyard’s stony alluvial soils lie just 160 feet above sea level, but the morning fog and strong afternoon breezes from San Pablo Bay help moderate the microclimate, accounting for the wine’s Old World restraint. 

After one sip of this irresistible 2021 Block 28, you’ll wish every Zinfandel winemaker could take cues from Hendry. Few Napa Valley reds can pack this much history, tradition, and terroir-driven elegance into an affordable bottle.