We are most proud of our project at Stagecoach Vineyards and we have boldly called it “the most serious planting of Zinfandel in Napa Valley’s modern era.” Stagecoach Vineyards® in
its entirety is no ordinary vineyard location–it is more like its own district in and around
Atlas Peak, Pritchard Hill, and Oakville. It encompasses hundreds of acres of prime mountain
vineyards that supply dozens of winemakers with some of their most prized grapes. Original
owner Jan Krupp has cleared literally mountains of the reddish-brown rock to allow for
planted vines. Planted on old-fashioned rootstock, St. George, and grafted with old vine
selections from Aldo’s Vineyard and The Old Crane Ranch, Stagecoach is a recreation of Zin
of the pre-Prohibition era. The modern influences are labor-saving with sun-catching wire
trellises and a water conservation-based drip irrigation system. California’s penurious first
farmers would have loved to have been able to afford such luxuries. Gallo took ownership of
the vineyard in 2017 and Biale is able to continue to produce an impressive wine from the single block of Zinfandel planted in this vineyard.