2020 Meadowcroft Zinfandel Mae Vineyard Dry Creek Valley 750 ml

While Tom Meadowcroft planned vineyards and pruned vines for some of the most iconic properties in California—Opus One, Cakebread, Duckhorn, Stags Leap—he dreamed of founding his own project based on these essential principles.

Fast-forward several years and the supple, seductive 2020 Meadowcroft Zinfandel—farmed off Mae Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, just 431 cases produced—checks every box. Rich, ripe, and juicy, this is Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel done to perfection, matching wild-berry intensity with Left Bank cut, finishing with remarkable persistence.

Tom favors small growers, choosing to highlight and celebrate tiny sites that you typically won’t see written about in the major wine-media publications. When it comes to Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley is his go-to spot—home to some of his favorite growers.

With his expert vineyard manager’s eye—keen to making decisions about green harvesting, vine density, and irrigation—he can frequently find grapes and sites that WAY overperform for the price.

This 2020 single-vineyard Zin, blended with 12% Petite Sirah and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, displays mastery in both the vineyard and the cellar—no surprise, given that it was crafted by winemaker Petar Kirilov, of Kukeri fame. 

Despite clocking in at 15.2% alcohol, it wields its power like an agile aikido sensei, achieving a lush harmony between its black-fruit riches and silky tannins rather than delivering a full-frontal attack on the palate.

It's exactly the kind of wine Tom dreamed of making.