Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Dynamic and fresh, displaying energetic flavors of raspberry and cherry, with briar patch, crushed stone and sage notes that build tension toward medium-grained tannins.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Highly expressive with perfume, the 2021 Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge Vineyard pours a bright but opaque purple and is forward with notes of candied apricot, black raspberry compote, pressed flowers, and menthol. This full-bodied red has more lift and linear feel, with its floral and fruity profile continuing through the palate, with notes of tea leaf, ripe tannins, and red berries that flesh things out.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge Vineyard has gregarious scents of blueberry pie, conifer and tar. The full-bodied palate is youthfully dense. It has pleasantly chewy tannins, satisfying acidity and a long, latent finish. It’s youthfully coiled and mineral-driven at this stage and will benefit from several years in the cellar.
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Vinous
The 2021 Zinfandel Rockpile Ridge Vineyard is peachy, citrusy and slightly candied in character, which may sound like an odd combination but really works. Supple and curvy in the mouth, the 2021 builds more savoriness with air. It’s a really distinctive interpretation of the variety—one that's pretty different from anything I've tasted before, but I like it.
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.