Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Stylish yet complex, with raspberry, loamy mineral and orange blossom aromas and powerful, plush flavors of berry cobbler, licorice and cracked pepper. Drink now through 2026.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Zinfandel Rockpile Cemetery Vineyard is a beauty – saturated, dense ruby purple to the rim with oodles of blackberry and peppery black cherry fruit, full body, reasonable alcohol for a wine of this richness (14.75%), and long in the finish. This is a terrific example from Rockpile that should drink nicely for up to a decade.
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.