Zinfandel, in a blend such as this, was once the pride of the California North Coast, and if I could make only one wine this would be it! "Mixed Blacks" was once the common term among growers for a block of vineyard with mixed varieties, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah and some of the following: Carignane, Alicante Bouchet, Grand Noir, Barbera, Grenache etc. In the 1960s we had several such blocks at York Creek. Wine growers spoke of white grapes and black grapes in those days, and the prices offered by wineries always included mixed blacks as a category.

"MXB" is our own proprietary name for this style of wine. Big and black and yummy, everyone seems to love this blend. I think this is Zinfandel at its best, and it is definitely the style of wine that was once considered the very model of what a rich, mountain wine should be. I think this will last and last, but it will improve with age like big Zinfandels often do.