2008 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard

Winemaker Jeff Mangahas told me that production for the Hartford Court vineyards was off by as much as 40% in 2008, "which is really significant when you realize how small the production is from these sites in the first place. The number of man hours that we had to commit to working the vineyards was ridiculous," he said, adding that "these were definitely the most expensive wines we've ever made, from an investment standpoint." I was reminded again that this is a seriously underestimated producer of distinctive wines that fly under the radar of too many wine fans. The facility is a pretty posh set-up, which I suspect makes many touring winos write it off without giving the wines a go. Big mistake.