Our winemaker, Celia Welch Masyczek, works closely with Sergio Melgoza, our vineyard manager, as they both believe that the art of making great wine begins in the vineyard. The vines for this wine were carefully grown on our Grigsby Vineyard and Collinetta vineyards, and then harvested at the peak of flavor throughout September and October 2005. The grapes were destemmed and gently transferred into fermentation tanks, where they fermented on the skins for two to three weeks. Aged in small barrels (65% new) for about 20 months, the wine was minimally filtered just prior to bottling in late May 2007.
Located at the northwest corner of the Silverado Trail and Yountville Crossroad, the vineyard soil is a light clay-loam, sprinkled with small river-rocks. With its proximity to the Stags Leap District, the vineyard receives cooling breezes most afternoons, originating from San Pablo Bay. The vineyard is farmed with the highest quality considerations and fruit clusters are thinned to prevent crowding or shading for optimal color and flavor development.
The Coombsville vineyard in the area east of Napa is much cooler, with rocky soils on gentle slopes. Much cooler than Yountville, the fruit ripens later but with more color density and structure than its counterpart 10 miles to the North.
The Rocca 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon combines the grace and finesse of Yountville Cabernet with the structure and quiet power of the Coombsville growing region. Black cherry, dark plum and raspberry notes dominate the aromas, while floral vanilla, anise and cinnamon notes provide support. On the palate the texture is broad and silky, with mocha and black currant notes dominating the finish.