Rocca VineyardsRocca Vineyards Rocca Vineyards
ABOUT ROCCA"Excellence is the focal point of everything we do. If my name is associated with something, I want to make it as great as possible." -Vintner Mary Rocca
When we moved to the Napa Valley in 1989, we knew they wanted to purchase vineyard land. The hunt for just the right spot to grow grapes took three years. In 1999, we purchased what is now known as the Grigsby Vineyard, in the heart of the Yountville appellation, and Rocca Family Vineyards was born.
Under the guidance of our Vineyard Manager Sergio Melgoza, our farming practices are holistic, and guided by the closely-connected twin goals of farming organically and sustainably to bring the vines into long-term natural balance with their environment.
We believe that 90% percent of winemaking is done in the vineyards, and our winemaker Paul Colantuoni strives to express our estate vineyard holdings in each bottle. He uses long, slow fermentations, frequent punchdowns, gentle pressing and extended barrel aging. Our wines are bottled without fining or filtration to express all the rich varietal character of the fruit.
WINEMAKING"My goal is to make charismatic wines with lots of flavor and aromatics, but without sacrificing elegance. I try to soften the tannins and make wines that are very intense, but they must also be balanced and authentically convey the character of the vineyards." -Winemaker Paul Colantuoni
After purchasing our first vineyard in 1999, we hired Winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek to help make our dream of producing wines a reality. In September of 2008, Celia passed the baton to rising star Paul Colantuoni, who will continue her legacy of crafting world-class wines from our beautiful vineyards.
Paul's winemaking style is the perfect mix of old-world finesse and new-world exuberance. He believes that excellent wines start with excellent vineyards, and that gentle, minimal care is essential to transforming fantastic fruit into fantastic wines, and he shares our belief that 90% of great winemaking is done in the vineyard. He uses long, slow fermentations, frequent punchdowns, gentle pressing and extended barrel aging. Our wines are bottled without fining or filtration to express all the rich varietal character of the fruit.
VINEYARDS"Rocca's vineyards have wonderful rocky soils with excellent drainage. Both vineyards have great climate conditions and sun exposure. All of the pieces are already in place to make world-class wine, so my job is mainly to stand out of the fruit's way." -Winemaker Paul Colantuoni
Our Grigsby Vineyard is located on the benchland of the Vaca Mountains. The vineyard is poised between the warmer upvalley climes and the cooling maritime influence of the San Francisco Bay to the south, so temperatures during the long growing season are warm enough to produce perfectly ripe and flavorful fruit, and cool enough to ensure finesse and balance.
Our Collinetta Vineyard is located in the Coombsville area of Napa. Collinetta is Italian for "little hill," and reflects the small knoll rising from the center of the property, which gives the vines a 360-degree orientation to the sun. The climate here is cooler than the Grigsby Vineyard, but its sun-drenched hillside exposure and shallow, rocky soil make it well-suited to growing Bordeaux varieties.
Our winemaking and viticulture team can often be found among the vines, checking in with the grapes throughout the growing season to ensure they are doing all that they can as a team to produce intensely-flavored, balanced wines that express the personality of the land that bears them. WINES2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, $75 superb vintages which have been widely praised and received numerous awards, including a first place showing in a recent Vintners Club of San Francisco's "Best of the Best" tasting. The wine displays elegant red fruit aromas and is lively and fruit-focused on the palate. It is accessible now but will further develop with age. "Reveals depth and complexity" 92-Points, Wine Spectator 2006 Syrah, $45 earthy forest-floor notes to rich game, roasted meats with hints of black pepper, sweet red cherries and a touch of spiced plums. The wine benefits from the unique micro-climate of the Rocca Grigsby Vineyard in Yountville, which is warm enough to produce perfectly ripe and flavorful fruit, yet cool enough to ensure finesse and balance. "Top 10 Wines of 2009" 96-Points
2006 Bad Boy Red, $32 Bordeaux varietals. The ripe dark cherry and vanilla tones of Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon marry seamlessly with the warm blueberry notes of the Cabernet Franc. The blend is topped off with Petit Verdot. Soft and silky at entry, the wine shows intensity of fruit flavor throughout the palate, while maintaining a sense of finesse. The complexity of fresh fruits, vanilla along with a bit of spice and a touch of toasty oak, linger in a finish that slowly fades to an impression of fresh summer cherries. "This stands up to wines at least twice the price" 95-Ponts, Andrea Immer-Robinson |
, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine