2019 High Valley Vineyard Red Blend High Valley Lake County 750 ml

The smart money is already moving north.

It doesn’t take a genius to look at a map and see that Lake County—directly above Napa—should be the next hot spot in the world of wine. But once you dig further, you realize that Lake County’s rugged topography and remoteness makes actually starting a vineyard there much tougher than it looks. 

Clay Shannon realized the potential for the region early on—hard work be damned—so in 1996 he bought over 2,000 acres on a series of wild, rocky slopes at an extreme 2,500+ feet of elevation, overlooking California’s largest natural lake. 

That was long before names like Andy Beckstoffer—yes, the same Beckstoffer who farms a score of waiting-list-only vineyards for $500 Cabernet in Napa—moved into Lake County and declared it the next big thing in California wine.

Now, Shannon’s hard work and vision has paid off with wines like his High Valley Red Blend. It’s a powerful Zinfandel-based blend that would easily command well north of its winery price if it came from Napa. Fans of bold reds from the likes of Three Wine Company should pay special attention. 

The soul of this wine is Zinfandel, but in true California spirit the blend is unique, with the Sicilian grape Nero d’Avola bringing beautiful midpalate richness and dark fruit to the table. Those two varieties are rounded out with Syrah and Petite Sirah, which deliver backbone and structure, while a little Cabernet Franc provides intricacy to the aromatics.

Aged over 12 months in French oak, the finished product is a call to arms for anyone looking for the next California wine region headed for the spotlight.