http://www.roccawines.com

The idea for Rocca Family Vineyards began in 1999, after a three-year search for the perfect vineyard finally yielded results: a 21-acre vineyard nestled deep in the heart of the Napa Valley and renamed The Grigsby Vineyard.

Owners Mary Rocca and Eric Grigsby called upon renowned winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek to produce the label’s first vintage in 2000. By 2002 the Grigsby Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon came in #1 in a blind tasting of 12 Rising Star Cabernets at the Vintners Club tasting. Later, the wine was chosen #1 in France’s 12 Best Cabernets from California. Years of accolades and popular opinion have established Rocca as one of the industry’s finest wine producers.

In 2000, the Collinetta Vineyard was purchased in the Coombsville Appellation. In 2008, the winemaking baton was passed to Paul Colantuoni, who continues to produce world-class wines under the Rocca label.

You’ll enjoy a vineyard tour and tasting for six at the Collinetta Vineyard in Coombsville. Right now, you’ll receive a half-case of wines, signed by the Vintner, Mary Rocca:

2006 Grigsby Vineyard Syrah: Amazingly complex, the aromas on this Syrah range from earthy forest-floor notes to rich game, roasted meats with a hint of black pepper, sweet red cherries and a touch of spiced plums. Less than 500 cases produced.

2013 Grigsby Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: Perfectly ripe dark red fruit, especially sweet black cherries, are beautifully complemented by sophisticated spice and floral elements as well as prominent notes of vineyard dust and rock quarry dust. The quality of this vintage is particularly evident on the mid-palate, where tremendous richness perfectly matches the luscious black cherry flavors.

2014 Vespera: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Syrah, 23% Merlot. An utterly charming, generous wine, beautifully balanced and elegantly proportioned. Savory and juicy sweet characters play off each other in a seamless mix of black raspberry and baking spices, cassis and violets, black cherry and graphite, dried cranberry and sage. Less than 600 cases produced.

2014 Collinetta Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon:  This Cabernet Sauvignon shows off the lush, rich opulence of the 2014 vintage with exceptional sophistication. As the wine opens up, elegant flourishes of warm summer vineyard dust, licorice, fresh pencil shavings, and spicy oak emerge to complement the powerful sweet ripe fruit. 92 points from Robert Parker.  400 cases produced.

2014 Grigsby Merlot: Remarkable, above all else, for its exquisite balance and graceful elegance. The aromatics are simply gorgeous, showing slightly richer and darker fruit than usual with wonderful purity and depth. Less than 150 cases produced.

2015 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay:  A beautifully refined expression of cool-climate Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, characterized by vibrant acidity, bright fruit, stony minerality, and Rocca’s signature elegance and balance.  The fruit is built on a lively core of barely ripe pineapple and accentuated with notes of lemon zest and citrus blossoms.  The finish is deliciously precise and focused and remarkably long, with interwoven elements of zingy pineapple, lemon, lightly toasted bread, wet stones, and the subtlest charismatic flourish of oak spice. 200 cases produced.