ROCKPILE RIDGE

ROCKPILE, SONOMA COUNTY

Devil Proof Malbec, Rockpile Ridge, is a robust and powerful wine from the single vineyard site of Rockpile Ridge, in the Rockpile appellation in Northern Sonoma County, the smallest AVA in the United States.

Sitting at an elevation of 1,380 feet, with vineyard rows jutting down at 25-degree slopes towards the Lake Sonoma basin, this dramatic vineyard site provides ideally moderate temperatures, forceful coastal breezes, and well-drained soils.

Taking our cues from the site itself, we mold our winemaking to best showcase this complex powerful mountain fruit. This Rockpile Malbec is 100% barrel-fermented to control the power of the site’s tannins but at the same time highlight the intensity and concentration of the fruit. This is the first time I have ever seen a wine that was 100% barrel-fermented, which is such labor-intensive process but one that this site demands so we will do nothing less.

With little water retention in the gravelly loam soils to begin with, our practice of dry-farming this vineyard further enhances the naturally occurring stress in the vines. Here, our fruit ripens evenly and deeply. The wine is rich, diverse, and striking, and a true expression of its distinctive vineyard source.