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What We Say 2005 Rockpile Zinfandel
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better, as is the case with today’s Superior Zinfandel from Trecini Cellars.
SUPER SONOMA TUESDAY ALERT!
Some of the best wines in the world are made right here in Sonoma County. Every Tuesday, The Wine Spies proudly feature one great Sonoma County winery.
Wine Spies Exclusive Alert!
Once again, the Wine Spies proudly proclaim (heck, we yell it from the roof-tops) another Wine Exclusive! Before the general public even get a chance at today’s wine, our Operatives get first shot at it…
Mission Codename: You talkin’ to me or chewing rocks…
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Trecini vineayards, revisit the Vicini family, and return with a Wine Spies EXCLUSIVE!
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Trecini Cellars
Wine Subject: 2005 Rockpile Zinfandel
Winemaker: Dan Barwick
Backgrounder:
Trecini Cellars, in Sonoma California, has a rich family history of winemaking. Their 2005 Rockpile Zinfandel shows off the family’s pedigree by delivering a giant Zinfandel of remarkable character and balance
Find out more about this wine by reading Agent Red’s tasting profile and mission, below
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Inky purple with a clear but nearly solid heart of darkest purple, this wine has a gentle and bouncy lilt to it as you swirl it in your glass where it develops long, thin legs
Smell – Big fruit up-front with giant & very ripe blackberry, black plum, blueberry, and dense red fruit with mild oak and spice. Also, the unusual and enticing of freshly popped and buttered popcorn!
Feel – Cool and ultra-light in the mouth initially, then the wines medium tannins take hold on the mid-tongue, roof of the mouth and lips
Taste – Big, bold and fruity, this wine is not shy as it gives you a delicious and friendly blast of blackberry, blueberry, darkest cherry, and jammy mixed berries with hints of licorice, nettle and spice
Finish – Big and flavorful with chalky tannins and jammy flavors that last and last
Conclusion – This Zinfandel, from the famous Rockpile Vineyards in Sonoma County, is a winning example of the bold and fruity style of Zinfandels produced in California in general, and in Sonoma County specifically. This fun romp of a Zin is cheerful and so delicious that we find ourselves pouring BIG glasses of it to satisfy our lust for the wine.
Mission Report:
There is an old expression, “Are you talking to me, or chewing rocks? Either way, you loose teeth!”
While this humorous if slightly macho saying is funny, I’d never wish to be on the receiving end of it. I would, however, like to be on the receiving end of a bottle of Trecini’s tremendous Rockpile Zinfandel.
Now if you think that this mission report preamble is a flimsy pretext for my choice of today’s mission name, you’d be right! I guess I’m busted. Alas. I liked the mission name… Its the first one that sprang to mind after tasting this great Zinfandel.
This mission was really a simple one: Locate a great Zin for our Operatives. Well, it turns out that I did find a great one, but I also returned with much more than I had bargained for.
Rockpile Vineyard, in Sonoma County’s northern reaches, is renowned for producing some of the greatest Zinfandels on record. I recalled the fact that Trecini had scored some primo grapes from Rockpile and had bottled a small batch of Zinfandel. I also recalled that this Zin was being kept under wraps until the winery deemed it fit for release. I further recalled that I had a few bottles stashed away in my private cellar – and that I had promised the winery not to crack them until after official release.
After a quick call to the winery owner, Cathy Vicini, I found that the wine was, indeed, ready for consumption – but not quite released. I popped a bottle and was blown away. I had expected it to be drinking young, but this wine was good to go! A little clever schmoozing (begging?) later, and I had secured an exclusive, pre-release of this great wine.
Grab some up, before the public feeding frenzy begins!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Rockpile Vinyard can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Trecini Cellars
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About This Wine:
Imagine the tannins mellowing down over the next year and starting to reveal some of that famous Rockpile upfront fruit. The mouth feel and finish have to be tasted to be believed. The palate is a complex mix of spice, blueberry, blackberry, nice dense red fruit, and orchestrated dashes of oak and spice. Mid palate tannins are present followed by the rocky chalky tannins that last for quite a while. Even after you’re done you will experience mocha, dill, anise and a small hint of spicy plum.
Our Rockpile Zinfandel is big, bold, smooth, and memorable.
It’s all Zinfandel.
Winemaker’s Notes:
The vineyard’s yields exactly one ton per acre and gave us perfect fruit, which means fully ripe, yet not over ripe. It maintains a good amount of natural acid enabling the wine to have structure, balance, age ability and above all food friendliness. Still a very young wine, with some pretty serious tannins. She is still brooding over her fruit for now, but when encountered it’s dense, vibrant and focused with an immense depth, rarely encountered.
About Our Winery:
From the historical town of Jera, in Tuscany, Italy, John Vicini brought with him the passion and love of wine that were handed from one generation to another for over 150 years. Now living and working with Cathy, his wife, and David, their son, they bring to you exceptional wines from the gently rolling vineyard covered hills of Sonoma County, the Russian River, and the Dry Creek Valley. Starting in 1994, John and Cathy grew and sold their own premium Russian River grapes. In 1999 they expanded their family’s business to developing and introducing their own label Trecini, representing the three Vicinis (John, Cathy, and David). With the help of David, Trecini has grown from a premium grape grower to a premium wine company offering five award winning varietals, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, Merlot Rosé, and a Zinfandel.
Meet our Winemaker
Dan Barwick
In 1981, Dan Barwick, a native of England, took his first wine job in the wine department of Harrods in London. “That’s where a wine germ settled and stayed in my head until I was ready to discover more,” says Barwick. After a short stint in wholesale wine sales, Barwick hopscotched around the wine world for nine years, first a Matanzas Creek Winery in Sonoma’s Bennett Valley, then Ferrai-Carano, over a Burgundy and then Stellenbosch and the Barossa Valley, before coming back to Sonoma County and Martin Ray Winery, and finally Paadise Ridge where he started working with Trecini Cellars. SInce 1999, Dan has made seven consecutive vintages of Trecini Cellars and looks forward to introducing new, creative, and extremely favorful wines.
Our Family
John Vicini, Proprietor, Wine Making
John’s fondest memory is at age 6, walking with his grandfather through the plush fields of vines in Tuscany, Italy, as he listened to the story about how the grapes were grown and how to take care of them. He grew up watching the village men make wine and listened to the stories on Sunday in the plaza about who could make wine better than the other. Everyone had their own secret method. John learned early on that the method used was the secret to making a wine distinctive from the other wines. He brought this secret with him to the United Sates when he came here at age 29. After 27 years as a proprietor of one of the finest Italian restaurants in Santa Rosa, California, John retired and was finally able to start his own vineyard, and begin his dream to make his own wine with his wife Cathleen, and their son David.
Cathy Vicini, _Proprietor, Finances_
Cathy is the glue. Not only does she help couples and families out while working as a Family and Child Therapist, Cathy helps keep John and David in-line. When not helping families, she is helping her own family by managing the office, maintaining customer satisfaction, as well as ordering and shipping the wine. Just for fun, and to get out of the office, she loves to pour at various wine events to meet everyone. You can always recognize Cathy by her Trecini grape appliquéd shirt.
David Vicini, Proprietor, Business and Socializing
David is our all around guy. Pretty much anything we think of or have to do, he does. Good times. All in all, he’s just happy to be here. From web design, tastings, shows, managing sales, etc.. etc… he is involved with it all. If you see him don’t be afraid and say hello, its his job to be nice to everyone and engage in all forms of communication. He may even offer you a glass of one of the award winning wines from Trecini Cellars.
Technical Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.8%
Appellation: Rockpile
Bottling Date: February 12, 2007
Months in Barrel: 40% New Oak 70% French 23% US
Release Date: February 12, 2008
Sugar: 0
Varietal: 100% Rockpile Zinfandel
Year: 2005
