Today we share one of the great sparkling wine producers in North America. Oregon’s sparkling wine master, Rollin Soles, transformed the wine program at Argyle, putting them on the national stage before starting his own winery, ROCO. Rollin comes off as extremely kind-hearted and has a wonderful sense of humor. I’ve been fortunate to have tasted his Argyle wines back to the late 1990s, as the ‘Extended Tirage’ wines that he made were some of the finest bubbles you will find in North America.
With the 2013 vintage Rollin was able to craft his first sparkling wine for his label, the ‘RMS.’ As a wine critic I was unabashedly licking my chops when I found out that Rollin was going to make aged sparkling wine. RMS wines are aged for 2.5 years before being disgorged. Rollin has had great success with his ROCO wines as he and his wife sold their winery to Santa Margarita winery earlier in 2022. There is very good reason why these giants of Italy took interest in this winery that has been consistently producing great wines. They have now completed their ‘Delayed Disgorgement bottling which comes from the 2013 vintage. This spent a whopping 10 years en tirage.
2013 ‘Delayed Disgorgemnt’ (OB, 97) is a total masterpiece with amazing nutty and earthy tones right now. Don’t miss out on the new release, the 2020 ‘RMS’ (OB, 95) which is dense and has a dazzling mouthfeel with loads of tension. Learn more about these incredible wines at rocowinery.com and here are my notes from the new release wines by ROCO.
2013 ROCO ’Delayed Disgorgement’ Sparkling Wine- This beautiful sparkling wine was stored on the lees for 10 years prior to disgorgement. A blend of 67% Pinot Nour with the remainder Chardonnay, this shows up fat and unctuous on the mouth, reminding people that 2013 was a flat out fabulous growing season prior to torrential rains at harvest. This beauty was obviously picked before the rains. Golden raisin, Japanese pear and toasted hazelnut flavors combine with shades of banana and even Yakima cherry on the palate. Novel, complex and delicious, with serious richness and underlying finesse, this is quite simply a masterclass by Oregon bubbles master Rollin Soles. No reason to cellar this fully mature heavyhitter of a wine. Drink 2023-2031- 97
2020 ROCO ‘RMS’ Sparkling Wine- The 2020 ‘RMS’ leaves little doubt that it is one of the great Willamette Valley wines made in 2020. Fully clean and chalk-filled with tension, salty undercurrents and a dense mouthfeel, this is absolutely cranking even at the three year mark. This beauty has so much to give in its rich core of honeydew melon, salted Marcona almond, bright Bartlett pear and even cardamom-laced starfruit notes. Rollin Soles continues to shine here as this is best savored now and over the next ten plus years to come. Mostly Chardonnay with small parts Pinot Noir. Drink 2023-2035- 95
2020 ROCO ‘RMS’ Rose Sparkling Wine- Made from mostly Pinot Noir grapes, this absolutely dazzling 2020 Rose Sparkling Wine takes the cake as one of the Willamette Valley greats mad this year. Once on the nose this shows off pretty pastry crust aromatics that combine with red raspberry and shades of salmonberry. But the palate is every bit but tart with its refined texture and showing a gorgeous bright red fruit profile. The dosage is right on point as the refined mousse really entices the spirit. With more air this mineral-laden, wild mushroom and sea spray accented and heady sparkling rose sparkling wine is quite simply a joy to consume now. Drink 2023-2035- 95
2021 ROCO ‘Chehalem Crossing’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 Chehalem Crossing Pinot Noir comes off very plump and ripe on the mouth, yet shows a great mineral backbone. Flavors of black plum and red cherry with pomegranate seed all beautifully meld together on the palate, with orange rind accents. This is drinking really well right now and will continue to evolve for at least another ten plus years to come. Drink 2023-2035- 93
2021 ROCO ‘Matteri Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This wine comes from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, as this site was first planted in an exceedingly tough vintage (2011). Fortunately for the consumer, this tastes nothing like 2011 Oregon Pinot Noir. This is dense and powerful with bright underlying tension and a deep amalgamation of fresh red and dark fruit flavors. With more air shades of black truffle, pine needles and salty undertones emerge on the palate. Finishing very long, this is a total masterclass by ROCO. Drink 2023-2037- 94