Rocca Family Vineyards

Partners Eric Grigsby and Mary Rocca, coming from successful medical and dental practices, purchased 21 acres in the Southeastern corner of Yountville at the border of Stags Leap District in 1999. Their Crossroads vineyard, located on the corner of Yountville Cross Road and Silverado Trail, is planted mainly to Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, with 1 acre of Merlot, and ¼ acre of Petite Syrah. In 2000 they purchased the Hearthstone Vineyard, a 9 acre parcel in the cooler Coombsville area, and planted it primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon, with an acre each of Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot.

Winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek takes a natural approach in the vineyard. She says, “I constantly walk through the vineyards near harvest, tasting for flavor development and tannin maturity. I rarely bring my refractometer into the vineyard anymore.”

Hazy, fairly opaque ruby, and unctuous in the glass, this varietally expressive wine has aromas of dark cherry, earth, dark bitter chocolate, amaro, cedar, vanilla, and toast. Rich and round on the palate, the wine has concentrated flavors of dark berry, cassis, and smoke. Other than low natural acidity, it is fairly well-balanced, and has a cedary finish with dark chocolate notes.

Reviewed April 11, 2007 by Catherine Fallis.