2024 Green & Red Zinfandel

Black cherry, blueberry scone, raspberry and garrigue on the nose. Full-bodied with supple tannins and notes of bramble and dark chocolate. SR (12/25)

A second consecutive year of above-average rain continued to positively impact vine health. Planted in red chert and greenstone gravel soils at 1,800 feet, the northeast-facing zinfandel from the Tip Top block was ready first. The lower Chiles Mill vineyard, at 1,000 feet with northwest exposure, took five days longer to ripen. Lovely now, this classic Napa Zinfandel will be best over the next six years. SR (11/25)

In 1968, founder Jay Heminway was living in Berkeley, teaching sculpture at U.C. Berkeley. Jay purchased the property in the hills of the Vaca Mountain range in 1969. Inspired by the remains of century-old vines on the property, soon Jay was planting gorgeous zinfandel and other varieties at his vineyard, now named Green & Red after the oceanic red chert-based soils and veins of green serpentine running through the property.

First planted was The Chiles Mill Vineyard, situated at 800-1000 feet above sea level and named after the historic Chiles Grist Mill — the first flour mill in Northern California, which had been built by Joseph B. Chiles in 1845. Finally, Jay reached high up into the sky and planted Tip Top Vineyard, sitting at 1800-2000ft, at the very top of this mountainside property, with views all around, out into central Napa Valley and up to Saint Helena in the west, with Chiles Valley extending into the distance below in the east.

Rainfall: 50 inches (above normal)
Bloom: Early May
Weather: Cool start to season, from early June on weather was warm to hot, leading to a condensed harvest.

Harvest Dates: 13 – 18 September
Grapes: Average Brix 24.9˚
TA: 6.37 g/L
pH: 3.74
Fermentation: 100% crushed and fermented in stainless steel tank with two pumpovers daily, natural primary and secondary.
Barrels: Air-dried American oak barrels (15% new, 30% one year old, 55% five-plus years old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested, grapes; whole-cluster pressed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 239 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Vinous Media: 94 Points “The 2024 Zinfandel Green & Red is one of the most immediately charming wines in this range. The purity of fruit is remarkable, just as it is with all of the 2024s here. Intense and mouth-coating, the Green & Red is almost Cabernet-like in its chocolatey richness. Wild blackberry, exotic spice tones and chaparral herbs resonate from top to bottom in a wine of superb mouthfeel and impeccable balance.” -Billy Norris (January 2026)

Wine Enthusiast: 94 Points + Cellar Selection “Punchy aromas of black cherry, plum, and flowers pop on the nose of this Zin. The palate leads with intense tannin and smooth acidity, highlighting flavors of spiced raspberry compote, orange peel, dark chocolate, and mint before a finish with plenty of firm grip. Allow this wine to settle for a few years in the cellar and enjoy with grilled ribs or smoked ham.” -Tom Capo (November 2026)

Average Rating: 88.5

No. of Tasting Notes: 8

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