The 2013 Roco 'RMS' Sparkling Wine (WWB, 94) is an absolute stunner and is the best Sparkling wine in North America that I have sampled in the past year.
A winery founded by eminent Oregon winemaker, Rollin Soles, ROCO focuses on limited production Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1987, Rollin Soles purchased a hillside property down a gravel road in the Chehalem Mountain Range. This property would later become ROCO Winery. Finally some 15 years later Rollin and his wife, Corby, planted Wits’ End Vineyard and two years later they began producing their first vintage of Pinot Noir. In 2009, the Soles built ROCO its own winery and added a tasting room in 2012. In 2013, Rollin expanded Wits’ End Vineyard and transitioned to full-time focus on ROCO to keep pace with its growing prestige and demand.
Today, Wits’ End Vineyard is the source for the ROCO Private Stash and Wits’ End Vineyard Pinot Noirs. This past year Rollin has produced a Sparkling Wine, his first at his winery, called ‘RMS.’ The resultant wine is an absolute stunner, up there with some of the best Argyle ‘Extended Tirage’ bottlings that I can recall from the late 1990s. The 2013 ROCO ‘RMS’ Sparkling Wine (WWB, 94) has incredible range and gorgeous weight on the mid-palate. This is truly a special occasion wine. Not to be outdone is one of the most impressive Oregon Pinot Noir that I have sampled in the past year, the 2014 ROCO ‘Private Stash’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which shows wonderful intensity and red and dark fruit flavors from this warm vintage. This is one of the most exceptional overall lineups that I have tried in the past year. Learn more about these exceptional wines at http://rocowinery.com Here are the fantastic new wines by Roco Winery.
Fantastic lineup of new releases from ROCO.
2013 ROCO 'RMS' Sparkling Wine- Superstar winemaker Rollin Soles has sourced this wine from both the Eola Hills and the Yamhill-Carlton AVAs. The resultant wine is a blend of 67% Pinot Noir with the remainder Chardonnay. Disgorged in Spring 2016 this wine opens with bright aromatics reminiscent of orange zest, poached pear, hazelnuts and hints of green apple. The mousse is stunning which leads to flavors of apricot, kumquat, New York apple, vanilla cream, and suggestions of Meyer lemon rind. Lithe, bright and wonderfully weighted this is simply stunning Sparkling wine Drink 2017-2027- 94
2014 ROCO 'Willamette Valley' Chardonnay- Sourced from the Gran Moraine, Maresh Estate and Knudsen Vineyards this golden hued Chardonnay wine weights in at 13.5% alcohol. The wine starts with aromatics reminiscent of brioche, New York apple, poached pear, nutmeg and roasted hazelnuts. The palate shows wonderful mid-palate weight and an almost unctuous mouthfeel. There are rich flavors of red delicious apple, vanilla cream, green papaya and ripe cantaloupe. This is exceedingly delicious and has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2017-2026- 93
2014 ROCO 'Knudsen' Pinot Noir- Set in the Dundee Hills, the Knudsen Vineyard sits on Jory soil, red clay as well as volcanic basalt. This Pinot opens with feminine aromas of rose petals, red cherry, red raspberry and crushed gravel. There are rich flavors of wild mushroom risotto, red cherry, cran-pomegranate and wet stone. This has a wonderfully dense mouthfeel, which leads to a long, finish highlighted by red fruits and minerals. Only 216 cases made of this fantastic Pinot Noir. Drink 2017-2027- 93
2014 ROCO 'Marsh Estate Vineyard' Pinot Noir- This vineyard utilizes clones 115, Pommard and Wadensweil and is set on marine sedimentary soil. This has fantastic aromas of pomegranate, guava, red cherry, red raspberry and rose petals. The palate is lithe, yielding flavors of black truffle crudo, red raspberry, red cherry, crushed wet gravel, guava purée and suggestions of Mandarin orange rind. Lively and energetic, the mineral streak finishes long. Drink 2017-2027- 93
2014 ROCO 'Wits' End Vineyard' Pinot Noir- The Wits’ End vineyard is located in the Chehalem Mountain AVA and is set on marine sedimentary soil. The Pinot Noir wine weights in at 14.5% alcohol and begins with aromatics reminiscent of black truffle oil, red cherry, black raspberry and hints of wet stone. The palate shows a nice combination of red and dark fruits with flavors reminiscent of black cherry, black raspberry liquor, guava purée, Mandarin orange rind and a lithe mineral streak. This shows tremendous balance and elegance. I can see this aging beautifully into the next decade. Drink 2017-2028- 93
2014 ROCO 'Private Stash' Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Wits' End Vineyard, this wine also weighs in at 14.5% alcohol and shows off the wonderful intensity of this warm vintage. Needing about a one plus hour decant, this gorgeous Pinot Noir wine begins aromatics of red currants, black raspberry, wild blackberry and cardamom. There are flavors of black tea, black raspberry liqueur, black cherry, wild mushroom and suggestions of creosote. This has wonderful mid-palate weight and a beautiful texture. This Pinot shows a great masculine side and maintains fantastic elegance with a rose petal edge on the finish. Try to resist this gorgeous bottling for at least one more year. Drink 2018-2030- 94