2017 Rocca Family Vineyards Vespera Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

Four vintages ago, Wine Access members completely cleared us out of the 2013 vintage of Rocca Family's Vespera red, adding raves like “Fabulous! Dense and opaque, Bold black fruit nose and plenty of complexity and concentration. This is a [Cab blend] at its absolute finest.”

The 2017 fits the exact same description.

In 1996, Mary Rocca purchased a 21-acre property situated in the northwest corner of the intersection of Yountville Cross Road and Silverado Trail, just a five-iron from the Stags Leap line. The soils there are composed of light clay loam strewn with small river rocks. Drainage is excellent.

The site, Grigsby Vineyard, has proved to be magical for growing Bordeaux varieties, as well as Syrah. While summer days can be blistering hot, marine breezes and fog from San Pablo Bay temper the July and August sun, allowing for the extended hang-time so critical for growing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon.

Rocca recruited one of Napa’s most renowned winemakers, Celia Welch, to make the first vintages. In 2007, they hired Paul Colantuoni—a talented up-and-comer seasoned by stints at Mondavi, Neyers, Vieux Télégraphe, and Brancaia—to take the baton. Colantuoni grew up with an appreciation for wine thanks to his Italian father and Italian-American mother, and has been the key to Rocca’s consistent quality over the years. When you taste this gorgeous, brawny, and hedonistic Cabernet Sauvignon, you’ll know exactly why Rocca recruited him.

Feedback from our members about Rocca Family’s bottlings is consistently terrific, with customers saying things like “An excellent wine for the $...every glass was better than the last.” We have no doubt that this plush little gem is going to be a hit with you.