2008 Merlot Grigsby Vineyard, Napa Valley
Wine Specs
Vintage
2008
Varietal
Merlot
Appellation
Yountville
Vineyard Designation
Grigsby Vineyard
Aging
17 months in small French oak barrels, 60% new
Bottling Date
March 8th, 2010
Alcohol %
15.1
Wine Spectator
91
2008 Merlot Grigsby Vineyard, Napa Valley
In Stock
The aromatics here are warm and inviting, as dominant notes of ripe, dark red fruits intertwine with subtle hints of milk chocolate and mocha, cinnamon, and a charming mineral component reminiscent of crushed stone. On approach the wine is broad and lush, leading into substantial weight and richness on the mid-palate. The tannins here are classic Grigsby Vineyard: rich and full, but with a silky softness that reminds one of melted dark chocolate. Th e finish is long and highly polished, with vibrant natural acidity lending emphasis to the wine’s purity and finesse. At the very end, a hint of oak spice provides a
final, charismatic flourish.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Awards
Best of Class, 5th Annual American Fine Wine Competition
Vineyard Notes
Our Grigsby Vineyard is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Yountville
Crossroad and the Silverado Trail, where the Yountville AVA meets the Stags Leap
District. e soil here is a light clay loam, generously sprinkled with small river rocks, on
a site that enjoys a very special balance of climate conditions. During the day, warm
temperatures and full sun exposure encourage the grapes to develop rich, ripe flavors and
polished tannins. In the evening, cooling marine breezes and fog from San Pablo Bay
dramatically reduce temperatures in the vineyard, allowing the fruit to retain aromatic
complexity, bright natural acidity, and a distinctive elegance. e vineyard is farmed with
the highest quality considerations, and the fruit clusters are hand-thinned to prevent
crowding or shading for optimal development.
Production Notes
At Rocca Family Vineyards, we believe deeply that all great wines are made in the vineyard.
Our winemaker, Paul Colantuoni, and vineyard manager Sergio Melgoza work very closely
together, taking tremendous care to ensure that our estate vineyards produce grapes of the
highest possible quality. In 2008, their dedicated efforts met with growing conditions that
decidedly promoted quality over quantity. In the early spring, Napa Valley experienced its
coldest and longest frost events in decades, which significantly reduced vineyard yields.
Furthermore, for the second year in a row, rainfall was little more than 60% of average. As a
result, grape clusters were far fewer and smaller than normal, with unusually tiny berries.
When the rest of the growing season brought essentially picture-perfect ripening conditions,
these naturally concentrated grapes matured slowly and fully, developing remarkably
profound flavors and lush tannins. e resulting wines from the 2008 vintage are exceptionally
dense, richly fruit-forward and extroverted, with great charm and elegance.
Winemaker Notes
Our goal at Rocca is to make wines that reflect, as fully and faithfully as possible, the
unique characteristics of the vineyards from which they come. To this end, all of our wines
are made exclusively from our own organically-farmed, estate-grown grapes, which we
selectively hand harvest in the cool hours of the night. Once the fruit has been picked, we
take an emphatically hands-off, non-interventionist approach to winemaking. is wine
was created entirely from Merlot from our Grigsby Vineyard, which was de-stemmed as
gently as possible, and allowed to ferment with the vineyard's own indigenous yeasts. It
was then gently pressed off, and transferred into barrels. e wine was aged for 17 months
in French oak, approximately 60% new, before bottling in March 2010.
Production
198 cases
Product Reviews
