Winemaker Notes
Nice dark-red in color, this wine offers aromas of blueberry-blackberry fruit and spicy-chocolatey oak. On the palate, nicely focused acidity enhances mineral flavors, with elegantly structured tannins and a super plush long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Spirited and briary, yet retains a sense of refinement. Expressive black cherry, rose petal and cracked pepper flavors pick up speed toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2028.
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Wine Enthusiast
From a 1,400- feet elevation site thick in volcanic soils, this wine is blended with 13% Petite Sirah and shows a touch of reduction on opening. It evolves to impart juicy lengths of blueberry, black cherry and licorice, with a jolt of cola, the tannins lush and plush
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Connoisseurs' Guide
13% Petite Sirah. A very solid, admittedly ripe-leaning Zinfandel, and not out of keeping with wines from this vineyard, Rocky Reserve takes its usual place among the better Zins of the vintage. It is, as expected, full in its concentration and hints just a bit at a touch of dried grape character amidst its blackberry and slightly boysenberry fruit. While not high in acidity, the wine does at least bow in that direction while finding pretty good balance overall. Fans of Ms. Shelton’s wines are going to love this one and should lay some away for a few years.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
High elevation vineyards—800 to 2,100 feet—on well-drained soils of red and brown clay loam, gravel and large rock outcroppings produce low yields of intense, high-quality fruit. Surrounded by Northern Sonoma County and overlapping Dry Creek Valley in its northwest corner, the Rockpile AVA produces some of California most powerful Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon based wines.