2023 Rockpile

Ruby in color and medium-bodied. Aromas of bramble, nutmeg, and fresh cracked peppercorn. Currant, blackberry, and wild fennel on the palate. Elegant finish with hints of brown spice and a nice, focused minerality. MB (6/26)

At 1,200 feet overlooking Lake Sonoma, these zinfandel and petite sirah vines receive plentiful sunlight. Each of the eight blocks was fermented independently, and six were chosen by taste. Generous fruit, structure, and minerality typify Rockpile, especially when these two varietals are combined. This wine will be at its best over the next eight or nine years. SR (1/25)

Botticelli is a 60-acre mountain vineyard located around 1,200 feet above Lake Sonoma in the famous Rockpile appellation, which sits at the far western reaches of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. The history of Rockpile is a rich one beginning with the Pomo tribe, pre-1850, which called the region ‘kabe-chana’, meaning place with many rocks. Throughout the early 1900s, the land was largely used for sheep ranches, and not until the creation of Lake Sonoma Reservoir in the 1980s, did the property truly emerge as the impressive grape growing region it is today. Shortly after, in 2002, the Rockpile AVA was established. The current owners, Arthur and Susan Biedermann, planted 10 acres of zinfandel and petite sirah in 1997. Due to an inversion layer originating from Lake Sonoma, Botticelli receives ample sunlight throughout the growing season and less fog than nearby regions, leading to the production of high quality wine grapes.

Rainfall: 64 inches (above average)
Bloom: End of June
Weather: Late and prolonged harvest due to consistently cool weather throughout the growing season.

Harvest Dates: 13 – 16 October
Grapes: Average Brix 24.1˚
TA: 5.03 g/L
pH: 3.95
Fermentation: Grapes destemmed and crushed, pumped over a floating cap twice daily.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels(10% new, 10% two years old, and 80% five-plus years old).
Aging: Fourteen months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested, grapes; destemmed and crushed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; water addition; tartaric acid; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 110 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions

See all food pairing recipes we have created specifically for this wine.