On a recent trip to Napa I came across a sleeper winery, Rocca Family Vineyards and had the pleasure of tasting through their wines over dinner with Mary Rocca and Eric Grigsby. This husband wife team that is making some exceptional wines. Eric is a successful physician and Mary a retired dentist, in addition to winemaking they also own a gourmet grocery, and run HealthRoots Foundation which provides palliative end of life care for people with AIDS. But even with all of these activities you can see the love both of them have for the land and wines.

Before dinner, Mary and I visited their vineyard sites, all of the fruit is estate grown, which allows Mary the benefit of choosing only the best fruit for her wines, and the remainder is sold off to other wineries. Her and the vineyard team take a holistic approach to farming, although not organically certified they still use all of the approaches to pests and dieses you see in other organic wines and will likely be certified organic by 2010. Their two vineyards; Grigsby named after Eric, and Collinetta which is Italian for little hill representing a small knoll on the vineyard site are some of the most prized vineyard space in Napa. They have Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot planted which gives them the ingredients to produce stellar wines.

They produce only three wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon ($75), Syrah ($45), and a unique blend called Bad Boy Red ($32). Each one consistently scores high 90’s in many publications and as this label grows it may be come harder to acquire their wines, If they are not available in your state you can always get them from the wineries website www.roccawines.com and be sure to check out their wine club.

Rocca Family Vineyards Napa Cabernet Sauvignon $75

If you want a big rich cabernet, than you have meet your match. This wine easily drinks like a much more expensive “cult” or hard to find cabernet that have made Napa famous. Aromas of leather, cassis, and juicy raspberries start to jump out of the glass as soon as you pour. These develop into a multi layered dark fruit and spice tasting experience. Layers of raspberries, black plums, clove, and dark chocolate are framed with a strong finish of dried cranberries and leather. The oak in the wine is not overdone, but just adds the perfect amount of taste, very much like salt and pepper to a perfect steak. This wine has the flavors to make it great right now and the backbone to be able to age up to twenty years. You will probably want to get on the mailing list for this wine because with the much deserved press it is receiving, it is going to get much more difficult to find this wine in the next couple of years. I give this wine a 92 points based on the complexity and fruit in addition to age ability.

Rocca Family Vineyards Napa Syrah $45

Now I am always a sucker for great syrah, and Rocca has nailed this grape to a tee. Layers of bright red fruit and vanilla intermingle perfectly with the notes of white pepper and briar patch fruit. The flavors all just glide across the taste buds like red velvet, softly and smooth. There is a touch of oak flavors on the mid palette and finish that is complimented with the spice and pepper notes. With this wine you will get loads of fruit and accents of spice, that when combined makes for a beautiful Syrah. This is solid 90-point wine that if you are getting some cabernet make sure to include some of this syrah.

Rocca Family Vineyards Bad Boy Red $32

The label on this wine is actually Eric, and as Mary said she thought he was better than any model they could find. This is an extremely fun wine, consisting of a blend of . The dark notes of the cabernet are balanced perfectly with the syrah freshness. The aromas of bright red fruit continue into the taste. With the different grapes you get a symphony of flavors and freshness that makes this wine perfect for casual entertaining, but still can hold its own against a great steak dinner. 90 points of delicious flavors in each bottle, this is one you will want a case of after the first sip.

As the evening progressed we tasted different vintages of their wines and compared the subtle differences, it became very clear that their wines can age but it was evident that the Cabernet can easily age for over 15 years and just continue to get better. Overall some of the best Cabernet and Syrah I have tasted in quite some time be sure to check them out. Also you can check out the Youtube video interview with Eric, Mary, and Myself.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAwbITu19Us
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOMaQ2_t7IY