2014 Unti Vineyards Rosso del Campo Dry Creek Valley 750 ml

Not Taking the Bait in Sonoma  

What do you do when you’re a California vintner in love with the wines of Italy, Spain, and southern France? You could forget your passions and take the easy money, planting Cabernet Sauvignon like everyone else. Or, you could work hard to create a spectacular oasis for Mediterranean varieties in the heart of Sonoma. That’s exactly what the Unti family has done at their stunning 60-acre estate in Dry Creek Valley, pouring heart and soul into authentic, honest,  wines that burst with a sense of place.

The Unti 2014 Rosso del Campo is one of those wines, a combination of everything Old World wine lovers dream about—elegant, restrained, fresh—crossed with California sunshine, which lends this unique blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Barbera its generous and juicy dark fruit. More than an homage, this is a new take on tradition—a wine with incredible personality and soul—not to mention an excellent value.

When the Untis founded their eponymous winery in 1997, they weren’t just a family obsessed with Old World wines. Well, they were, but they also knew a thing or two about geography, realizing that the conditions in Dry Creek Valley were eerily similar to the Mediterranean homes of their favorite wines. Doubling down on their vision, they planted grapes like Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, bringing in stud winemaker Jason Valenti (Paul Hobbs, Kosta Browne) to bring their dreams to fruition.

Valenti and his team are incredibly specific in their approach, vinifying 30 to 50 different lots from every harvest to ensure maximum flexibility and precision during blending. It’s the reason a wine like the 2014 Rosso del Campo can be so layered and multidimensional, yet seamless. Comprised of 75% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, and 10% Barbera, the 2014 Rosso del Campo offers ripe currant, boysenberry, and red cherry notes beautifully interlaced with finely cracked black pepper, leather, olive tapenade, and camphor.

Of course, so much detail-oriented work means that production at Unti necessarily remains small. Of their total 8,000-case production, most never leaves California, which is why we’re so thrilled to share this 2014 Rosso del Campo—one of our personal favorites—to Wine Access friends today. For those looking for an exciting, delicious, and refined red under-$20, this is it.