BigHammerWines.com

Outpost is the kind of Napa winery most people will never hear about — and the collectors who know it prefer to keep it that way. Perched at 2,200 feet on Howell Mountain, above the fog line and surrounded by volcanic, iron-rich red soil, this organically farmed estate has been producing some of California's most compelling Zinfandels since 1998. The 2023 vintage earns 95 points from Robert Parker and 94 from Jeb Dunnuck, confirming what insiders already knew: this is mountain Zinfandel at its absolute peak.

Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown — the same talent behind Schrader and Rivers-Marie — has been at the helm since day one. Only 845 cases of Zinfandel were produced in 2023, all from the estate's Wente Clone vines, hand-harvested at dawn, fermented by individual blocks, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Owned by AXA Millésimes (the same group behind Château Pichon Baron), Outpost combines old-world pedigree with rugged Napa mountain character.

2023 proved to be a stellar year for Howell Mountain in particular. Abundant winter rainfall, a cool spring, and no major weather extremes allowed harvest timing to be carefully controlled. The result is a wine with dense color, excellent concentration, bright acidity, and finely polished tannins. Aged 13 months in 27% new French oak, the 2023 delivers the depth and spice of a world-class mountain wine without the three-figure Cabernet price tag. Dunnuck calls it "incredibly complex, satisfying, and nuanced" with 15 years of cellaring potential.

Aged 13 months in 27% new French oak barrels.