Wow, this is magnificent stuff. Not for the feint of heart, the 2006 Neyers Tofanelli Zin is a a massive effort squeezed out of a tiny parcel of 60 year old vines in the hills above Calistoga. A big, brambly wine, it provides a joyous assault of blackberry and raspberry jam, bits of tar, plum and tobacco – and the finish, well the finish just doesn’t quit. Now a lot of people complain about Zins being all fruit and no stuffing – this just isn’t the case (nor could it be, seeing as this bottle sports the Neyers family name). A chorus of bright acidity, perfectly soft tannins, and amazingly defined fruit greets the drinker lucky enough to have a few bottles of this gem in their basement. This wine would easily stand up to a plate of short ribs. But the ultimate pairing is a juicy double-burger with a crown of blue cheese. At less than 600 cases produced, you’ll want to beat your competition to the pile.

The Tofanelli Vineyard is the stuff of legends in California. One look at those grizzly old head-pruned vines poking out of the ground and you can tell there’s something special happening there. Now there are a few bottlings lucky enough to carry the Tofanelli name, but in this case, I’m not sure who makes out with the luck. Bruce Neyers is an exceptionally gifted (some might say revered) wine guy. It’s hard to imagine a vineyard that wouldn’t feel pretty good about themselves if he came knocking on the door, looking for their fruit. Shoot, they might just bump him to the top of the waiting list.

We have fairly limited stock of the 2006 Neyers Tofanelli Vineyard Zinfandel. Stop in a pick up a few bottles before it all disappears.

Neyers Vineyards Zinfandel, Tofanelli Vineyard, Napa Valley, 2006     $32.50/Bottle