Wine Recommendation
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Wine Recommendation

Wine:Rocca Family Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon  (Yountville)

Rocca Family Vineyards

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Yountville ~ Napa Valley)



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.




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The Wine

Winery: Rocca Family Vineyards
Vintage: 2003
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Yountville ~ Napa Valley
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (88%), Merlot (12%)
Price: 750ml $55.00

Review Date: 4/11/2007

The Reviewer

Catherine Fallis

Founder and President of Planet Grape LLC, a company committed to bringing the joy of wine, food, and good living into the lives of everyday people, Catherine is creator of the “grape goddess guides to good living,” a series of books, television presentations, seminars, and e-learning programs. The fifth woman in the world to become a Master Sommelier, grape goddess Catherine Fallis is still very much down-to-earth.