Rochioli
For years I have adored one of the jewels of the Russian River Valley, Rochioli. Tom Rochioli traces his family heritage back to some of the area’s first plantings on Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1959 his father and grandfather planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc which was a great learning experience for them. The Cabernet Sauvignon did not grow well and was pulled out in the 1970s. However, the Sauvignon Blanc planted became a huge success. Today these same vines are still in production and are considered some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in California. Inspired by the wines of Burgundy, Tom’s father planted Pinot Noir in 1968, as he likened the cool climate to Burgundy.
The Rochiolis began selling their grapes to Bynum winery in the 1970s and then later Williams Selyem in the 1980s but Tom was inspired to make his own wines. Then in 1987 they released their first estate wine. Utilizing a minimalistic style of winemaking, Rochioli focuses on individual blocks of wine that show subtle differences in fruit and terroir.
I adored the new wines by Tom that show a common thread of richness with good tension. Check out the utterly gorgeous 2019 Rochioli ‘Sweetwater’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which is dense and seamless, with a seriously good aromatic and flavor range. I adored the 2019 Rochioli ‘Little Hill’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which is rich with good viscosity and very pretty red fruits. Learn more about these outstanding wines at http://www.rochioliwinery.com Here are the great new wines by Rochioli.
2019 Rochioli ‘Russian River Valley' Chardonnay- Toasted hazelnuts, brioche and creme brûlée aromatics come into play here. The wine shows off toasty hazelnut with melon and lemon zest infused sourdough bread tones aromatically. The mouthfeel here is excellent, showing off Meyer lemon zest, heavy whipping cream and brioche flavors that sit alongside a good veil of tension. The long finish lingers. Great in its youth, this will provide drinking enjoyment over the next five to seven years. Drink 2021-2027- 92
2019 Rochioli ‘River Block’ Chardonnay- The 2014 Rochioli ‘River Block’ Chardonnay is sourced from old Wente clone vines located in close proximity to the Russian River. Immediately gratifying on then nose, this shows vanilla bean and Challah bread tones that mingle with wet stone and aprociot tones that all come together brightly on the nose. The palate is fat and downright unctuous with a seamless texture. Layers of banana and Pazzaz apple combine with salted Macadamia nut and vanilla cream on the palate. The length here is exceedingly good. Great in its youth, this will cellar well for another decade. Drink 2021-2031- 94
2019 Rochioli ‘Sweetwater’ Chardonnay- The 2019 ‘Sweetwater’ Chardonnay by Rochioli is a gorgeous wine by famed winemaker Tom Rochioli. The aromatics here are deep and concentrated with baking spice infused golden delicious apple, wild mushroom and shades of roasted pineapple that all take shape in the glass. The palate is fresh, vibrant and beautifully textured. This comes off very elegant but the sense of weight here is utterly fabulous and gratifying. The exceedingly long finish adds to the enjoyment as this beautiful wine will be around for at least a decade. Drink 2021-2033- 95
2019 Rochioli ‘Little Hill’ Chardonnay- Sourced from vines that were originally planted back in 1972, the 2019 ‘Little Hill’ Chardonnay opens with rich vanilla creme brûlée woven together with marzipan, mango and shades of Shiitake mushroom, showing outstanding aromatic range. The palate is seamless and beautifully textured. Layered with rich orchard fruits, ripe pineapple, vanilla cream and toasted hazelnut flavors this complex and delicious wine is showing marvelously even at the two year mark. The feeling of weight and acidity is really outstanding. Enjoy this beautiful wine over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031- 94
2019 Rochioli ‘Russian River Valley’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Russian River Valley’ Pinot Noir is mainly sourced from Little Hill (53%), as well as a host of other Russian River Valley sites with vines ranging from six years to 40 years old. Already beautifully evolved at the two year mark, the wine shows off cherry cola and red raspberry cordial tones with wonderful damp earth and plenty of minerals on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, with gobs of finesse, this is a sensational entry level release that will provide plenty of enjoyment over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2019 Rochioli ‘Little Hill’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Little Hill’ Pinot Noir is an outstanding new wine by the talented Tom Rochioli. Right away the heady aromatics of bright strawberry and guava combine with orange zest and peat moss tones that all really impress. The palate is soft and round with great acidity and mid-palate density. A wonderful core of pretty red fruits parade with minerals, damp tilled earth, rose water, fresh herbs and orange rind on the palate. With outstanding length, this beautiful wine will cellar well for the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2021-2035- 94
2019 Rochioli ‘Sweetwater’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 Rochioli ‘Sweetwater’ Pinot Noir is a gorgeous effort that is very youthful but has gobs of aging potential. Once on the nose this takes on beautiful red rose petals and damp river rock tones that mingle with shades of cinnamon and cloves with a good core of ripe red fruits. The palate is soft, round and beautifully textured. Lithe, and light on its feet, this shows a great wall of bright red fruits with shades of blood orange zest and stony minerals. Gorgeous to savor in its youth, this has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2035— 94
2019 Rochioli ‘River Block’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘River Block’ shows off a deeper core than the ‘Sweetwater’ bottling and also shares more dark fruit aromatics with tilled soils and wintergreen tones on the nose. The wine has marvelous depth and concentration with exquisite finesse. Rich huckleberry and black raspberry flavors combine with flinty minerals, peat moss and a rich veil of salinity. The terroir here is just exceptional. Gorgeous in its youth, this will continue to evolve well over the next fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 95