JR Storey Winery Mixed Reds

Tasting notes & discussion 43

Typically $40-$45/bottle from JR Storey Winery
Vintage 2023 from Andrews Vineyard, Sonoma County
Available for AL; AZ; AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; FL; GA; ID; IL; IN; IA; KS; KY; LA; ME; MD; MA; MI; MN; MO; MT; NE; NV; NH; NJ; NM; NY; NC; ND; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VT; VA; WA; WV; WI; WY
Sold by participating winery or licensee, fulfilled by Wine Country Connect

About JR Storey Winery: “Welcome to JR Storey Winery, where tradition meets innovation in every bottle. Winemaker John Ross Storey began making wine in 1992 at Eric Ross Winery, and then opened his own winery in 2005.”

One More Final Goodbye

TASTING NOTES:
2023 JR Storey Zinfandel, Andrews Vineyard, Sonoma County - “On the nose, the 2023 Andrews Vineyard Zinfandel opens with inviting aromas of ripe plum and black pepper, with a subtle hint of forest floor, a toasty quality, and a gentle touch of vanilla. On the palate, lush plum and black currant flavors are supported by silky, integrated tannins — generous, refined, and a true reflection of the Fountaingrove District terroir.” (AbV 14.9%, pH 3.72)

2023 JR Storey Winery Beast, The Final Chapter Red Wine, California - “Beast opens with an enticing nose of ripe blackberry, currant, and blueberry, accented by vanilla and hints of pepper — lingering aromas that are hard to resist. Deep and spicy on the palate, generous flavors of plum and black currant are framed by firm, well-structured tannins. Long on the palate, the tantalizing sensations of the Beast not only tempt, but deliver.” (AbV 14.74%, pH 3.65)

BARRELS: 17 months, 100% neutral French oak

PAIRS WITH: N/A

THAT REMINDS ME OF: The Final Chapter.

There’s a particular lie that sequel franchises tell, and they tell it with complete sincerity every single time: that this one is the last one. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter came out in 1984. Jason Voorhees has appeared in ten films since then. Avengers: Endgame was quite literally named after the end of everything, and yet here we are. Even Agatha Christie’s Poirot was killed off in Curtain, a novel she wrote in the 1940s specifically to be published after her death — a genuinely touching and final goodbye — and then the BBC made three more seasons of the TV show anyway. The “final chapter” is less a statement of fact than a vibe. An aesthetic. A theatrical clearing of the throat.

The thing is, it almost always works on us. There’s something about the promise of finality that makes people lean in. Knowing something is ending — or might be ending, or is at least claiming to be ending — makes you pay more attention. Stakes feel higher. Flavors taste richer. You notice things you’d otherwise scroll past. It’s the same reason a sunset hits differently than a noon sky, even though the sun is, technically, just doing the same thing it does every day.

Which, come to think of it, is not a bad way to approach a wine of which only 199 cases exist. Whether or not Beast actually constitutes a final chapter for anything, that scarcity has a way of focusing the mind. You open it knowing there isn’t an endless supply. You pay attention. The blackberry and currant and firm, structured tannins land a little heavier when you know the run was limited. That’s not marketing. That’s just how finality works on the human brain.

Who's buying this?

How are you buying your bottles?

When something is billed as 'the final chapter,' how do you respond?

I lean in harder — scarcity makes everything feel more meaningful to me

I lean in harder — scarcity makes everything feel more meaningful to me
I'm skeptical of the label, but I still show up just in case

I'm skeptical of the label, but I still show up just in case
I tune out the drama and just enjoy the thing for what it is

I tune out the drama and just enjoy the thing for what it is
I feel genuine urgency and act on it before I miss my chance

I feel genuine urgency and act on it before I miss my chance
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