The grapes are Estate Grown from the Bradford Mountain Estate vineyard. Overlooking the western edge of Dry Creek Valley, the vineyard spans six and a half hectares on the top of the 385-metre peak Fred cleared and planted in the 1980s. The well-drained, red-clay soil and sunny days and cool nights produce small, intensely flavoured grapes. This wine encapsulates all of the best qualities found in mountain-grown Zinfandels from the Dry Creek Valley appellation: the poorer soils and cooler nights harness and preserve more of the bright acidity and freshness in the grapes. More sunlight hours at the higher elevation means thicker-skinned fruit, which translates as darker, richer fruit. The key characteristics of mountain-grown Zinfandel are its peppery quality and more intense black fruit characteristics. The vines are head-trained, pruned and dry-farmed. They are cultivated sustainably; the only treatment used is sulphur dusting, and the fruit is hand-harvested.