A winery that keeps trending upwards, Rocky Pond is one of the excellent producers in the Chelan region. They have now formed their own AVA, Rocky Reach, as their estate vineyards are planted on very stony soils, in close proximity to the river. One of the great moves they made was hiring former Quileceda Creek GM John Ware to their team. Ware was a large part of Quilceda Creek becoming one of the prominent houses of the Pacific Northwest.
Rocky Pond has recently hired the former assistant winemaker at HALL, Elizabeth Keyser. She grew up with wine in her family and then worked at Zachys for two years as a junior wine buyer. Talking to her she shared her interest in learning about wine and stated “Guided myself down a path of working my first harvest and then I could never go back to a desk job.” She then completed a degree from Cornell and worked in the Finger Lakes region before moving to Oregon working for A to Z. She stated “I was about to turn 30 and I had to get a real job. I was introduced to Steve Levesque at HALL and was hired as an assistant winemaker. I did a lot of hands on cellar work and became winemaker and then Megan and Allison working with them when Steve left the team. I was ready for more of a creative outlet and it wasn’t necessarily tied to Napa or Sonoma. Steve is a mentor for me today and was candid with them and he said that there was a cool project happening in Washington and I would love for you to meet John Ware and the family. I was ready to sink myself into this project.”
With regards to the 2022 vintage she thinks that both reds and whites look exciting. “Whites carry the acid well and with reds we wanted to coax out the green tannins and what are the fingerprints of the cooler vintage. I am excited by them and it is cool to step into a season like that and have life and freshness” she said.
With Elizabeth I tasted the new red wine releases by Rocky Pond wines were excellent, deep and concentrated efforts. I love the new 2021 Rocky Pond ‘Statastone’ Red Wine (OB, 92) which is dense and rich, with a nice red fruit profile. Learn more about this winery at https://rockypondwinery.com Here are the new release wines by Rocky Pond.
2022 Rocky Pond ‘Stratastone’ White Wine- The 2022 ‘Stratastone’ incorporates mostly Rhone varieties (60% Viognier, 22% Roussanne) with smaller parts Semillon and Marsanne which were co-fermented and were stored in 30% new French oak before bottling. The wine comes off nicely textured with good nutty accents. Green papaya, mango, beeswax and shades of Pink Lady apple all combine on the palate. Enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next few years. Drink 2023-2029- 92
2021 Rocky Pond ‘Stratastone’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Stratastone’ is comprised of mostly Syrah (62%) with smaller parts Grenache and Mourvèdre that was stored in oak puncheons and was unfined and unfiltered before bottling. This shows a soft mouthfeel once on the attack with layers of boysenberry fruits, white pepper dusted smoked meats, green olives and shades of chocolate. This is drinking beautifully right now. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2021 Rocky Pond ‘Estate’ Syrah- The 2021 ‘Estate’ Syrah has 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. It stands inky in the glass, revealing beautiful aromatics of brisket, green peppercorns, violets and shades of milk chocolate. This is beautifully balanced on the palate with good concentration, structure and a smooth texture. Loads of blue fruits, anise and chocolate flavors all combine on the palate. Enjoy this outstanding wine now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2023-2031- 93
2021 Rocky Pond ’11 Dams’ Red Wine- An intriguing blend of Malbec (51%) with 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, this was aged for 22 months in 35% new French oak before bottling. Pretty red florals, black tea and anise combine with concentrated black fruits. This shows good structure and weight with sweet pipe tobacco and creme de cassis with black cherry cordial flavors. Drink 2023-2029- 91
2020 Rocky Pond ‘Double D Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Rocky Pond ‘Double D Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon is an outstanding blend that is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (75%) and spent 22 months in 50% new French oak before bottling. Dark currants and black raspberry aromas combine with potpourri and shades of black licorice. The palate is smooth and shows beautiful concentration and underlying acidity. Fantastic to enjoy now, this is just a joy to drink in its heady youth. Drink 2023-2031- 93