 This was our very first ever released wine and the wine that establised our reputation for classic, elegant wines. It was all the buzz at the 2001 ZAP tasting in San Francisco. We only made 510 cases from the first harvest of the newly replanted Pelissa vineyard in Oakville. We opened a bottle with friends over dinner last night (October 2005). How often do you get an applause from your friends? Smiles all around. Here's what the critics had to say about our premier vintage:
"This plush-textured Zin is brimming with dark, ripe fruit redolent of black cherry, black currant, raspberry, earth and herb flavors. Weighty on the palate with jammy, spicy overtones, the wine still serves up plenty of focus and class. This is the first release from Downing Family, which is specializing in Zinfandel and Cabernet. Owners John and Tracy Downing are amateur pilots - hence the name. They've hired veteran Napa Valley winemaker Randy Mason to oversee wine production." Wine Enthusiast March 2002 (91 points)
"This creatively packaged Zinfandel (check out the bottle) boasts and opaque purple color in addition to a sweet nose of black fruits, high quality new oak, minerals and flowers, outstanding concentration, impressive purity, medium to full body, and well-integrated acidity as well as tanin. A classy, elegant, complex offering made in the style of a classified growth Bordeaux, it will drink well for 7-8 years." Robert M. Parker Jr. Wine Advocate (90 points)
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