Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Containing 7% Petite Sirah, the 2017 Rockpile Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge Vineyard aged 15 months in French oak. It's deep ruby with notions of peach cobbler, roasted blueberries, bramble berry jam, shaved chocolate, nutmeg and cinnamon with hints of dried flowers, leather, dust and cured meats. Medium to full-bodied, it explodes with ripe, jammy fruits with a classy framing of oak spice, fine, grainy tannins and seamless acidity with a long, evolving finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Aged 15 months in oak, the 2017 Zinfandel Rockpile Winery Rockpile Ridge Vineyard is a beauty that offers loads of mulled black plum, sandalwood, and dried flower notes in a rich, medium to full-bodied, nicely balanced style. It has plenty of fruit, ripe tannins, and is a total charmer that's a joy to drink.
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.