We’ve been fans of wines from the Rockpile AVA for a long time. There is just something about the rich balanced flavor and structure of the wines from this region, primarily Zinfandels and Petite Sirahs. But only recently have we gotten a better understanding of the history of this AVA.
Located at the far west end of the Dry Creek Valley, the Rockpile region was officially recognized as an AVA [American Viticultural Area] in 2002, which seems fairly recent compared to some of the other AVAs in California. This is thanks mainly to the tireless efforts of Jack Florence, Jr., Jack Florence Sr. and Roderic Park. Jack Jr. planted his Florence Vineyard several years earlier in 1994 while Jack Sr. planted his in 1998. They were not the first modern-day planters in the area as Rod and Cathy Park planted their Rockpile Vineyard a couple of years earlier – this vineyard is now owned by Ken and Diane Wilson of Wilson Artisan Wineries.
Jack Jr. already had a successful vineyard management business when he decided in 1992 to purchase the 116-acre property at 1200 feet above sea level that would become Florence Vineyard. When he was ready to start planting in 1994, he initially thought about going with Merlot as it was extremely popular then [the movie Sideways didn’t come out until ten years later!] and that it would do really well in the area. Fortunately for all of us Zin fans, Jack managed the famed Harris Kratka Vineyard and its owners connected him to Kent Rosenblum of Rosenblum Cellars. Kent helped give Jack that nudge to go with Zinfandel. [Notice how so many of our articles about Zinfandel continue to refer to the old three Rs of Zin – Rosenblum, Ridge and Ravenswood?]
Of the 116 acres, Jack Jr. planted 16 acres of grapes – 12 acres of Zinfandel using budwood from the famed St. Peters Church vineyard (which Jack also managed) and 4 acres of Petite Sirah. Jack Jr. also planted several other vineyards in the area, including for his father Jack Sr. [this vineyard is now owned by Lori Hunt and Mark Zuckerman – hopefully a story for another day] as well as the Ramsey Vineyard [now the Thomas Vineyard] and the Lumetta Vineyard [now the Botticelli Vineyard], among others. This consistency along with the overall high quality of the grapes helped to strengthen the argument for Rockpile to become its own AVA.
Jack Jr.’s grapes from his Florence Vineyard were an immediate success, first purchased by Rosenblum Cellars and later by several other wineries such as Carol Shelton, Bella Wine Caves, the Hess Collection and Wilson Artisan Wineries.
The 2020 vintage marked the first release of Jack Jr.’s own Florence Vineyard label – a Zinfandel and a Petite Sirah – to much acclaim. We were honored to be invited by Jack Jr. to taste recent releases of Florence Vineyard with him in his home on the vineyard.
On our drive through the Rockpile AVA to the vineyard, we were overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery above Lake Sonoma. There are several vista stops along the way to take in the views. The view from his house is amazing as were the wines we tasted…
2022 Zinfandel Reserve [with 20% Petite Sirah] – Floral nose with delicate blueberry notes, firm and layered tannins with an exquisite, extended finish.
2023 Zinfandel Reserve [with 20% Petite Sirah] – Very slight white pepper nose and full-bodied raspberry fruit. Touch of spice from oak with robust tannins.
2021 Petite Sirah [with 3% Alicante Bouschet] – Dark burgundy color, creamy boysenberry notes and a splendid, lingering finish.
Jack Jr. advocates adding Petite Sirah to Zinfandel for color and structure. About the only grape that could add additional depth of color to Petite Sirah is Alicante Bouschet, since the Alicante juice is actually red, not just the skins. Jack definitely prefers these additions and said “the color of the wine is like a handshake” as an introduction to the “originality of the vineyard” that bears his name.
Check the website for ordering and also for much more information on what Jack Florence, Jr. has done with this amazing property and the Rockpile AVA. He is a true pioneer and we are extremely grateful for what he has accomplished. We feel fortunate that Jack invited us to his vineyard.
Florence Vineyard Rockpile’s Original Zin Jack Florence #
Karen and Michael Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.
