Reviews

Wine Enthusiast Magazine: Rockpile Zinfandel

"91. A big, brawny, juicy Zin that shows the muscular style of Rockpile, and does so with considerable appeal. With powerhouse flavors of ripe, freshly picked blackberries and currants, sprinkled with anise, cocoa, black pepper, crushed cloves, star anise and vanilla, it finishes completely dry and smooth."

Wine Enthusiast Magazine: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

"91. Bella Vetta's 2005 was very good. This 2006 is easily on a par. It's a ripe, plush wine, filled with blackberry, currant and sweet oak flavors with a savory tease of leather that may be a touch of brett, but it acts as a spice. And look how modern techniques have tamed those fierce Howell Mountain tannins. The mouthfeel is sheer velvet. Editors' Choice."

Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

"Two stars; 91"

"Showing its hillside heritage in fruit that takes on berryish tones amidst tighter curranty notes, this handsome wine gathers up rich oak, tea leaf herbaceousness and a fair dollop of rugged tannin as it crosses the palate. It is both somewhat supple and more than a little stiff at the same time, but its fruit and its complex layering provide plenty of incentive to lay it aside in the cellar for half a decade or more. And the price is right. $29"

— Volume 34, Issue 6: April 2010

Perry Rankin, Thirty Four North Wine Merchant

"This Zinfandel is very lush with really bright red fruits and exotic spices. The palate is rich and chewy and mirrors the aromas of raspberry and Bing cherry. A really nice texture lies ahead as well with very typical Rockpile dry tannins bringing up the rear behind really pretty fruit and concentration. Slightly smoky vanillin oak rounds out the finish here."

Dick Warner Wines

"Wow! Having been a wine merchant for 28 years and a zin fan forever, I was absolutely in love with this wine after one taste. This is the definition of a great wine... flawless, one whose various flavors show themselves individually and at the same time seamlessly meld together in a satisfying fusion that lingers on your palate. It is a must have for any person who loves zin. Remarkable for a first release."

— Dick Warner

Back Room Wines

"Taste big ripe raspberries, Asian spices, and ginger. The wine is juicy, bold, rich and smooth, with Rhone-like spice and pleasure. Fans of big Zin will definitely want to add this wine to their collections."

— Ryan Graham