Highly acclaimed Rockpile Reserve Zin under $30?! Am I seeing things?

Alright…

Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong are definitely not coming back anytime soon to sing that live again. Generations come and go, but we see very few timeless collaborations like that. We’re lucky to live in an era where Carol Shelton crafts magical Zins from grapes by Jack Florence Jr. & Sr. who is 95 years young!.

“A winemaker since 1978…” expounds Wine Industry Advisor, Carol Shelton is well known in the industry as a maker of world-class single-vineyard Zinfandels…” In 1975, nuclear engineer turned wine grower Jack Florence had already settled in the Dry Creek Valley, where her would eventually head up Rockpile to plant arguably one of the greatest Zin vineyards in all of California.

Press Democrat explains, “In 1994, Florence Jr. used cuttings from St. Peter’s Church to plant the first Zinfandel in northwest Dry Creek Valley, which is now the Rockpile appellation. He later planted the same Zinfandel clone in several neighboring vineyards, giving the region its hallmark consistency. Four years later, Florence Sr. established his own Rockpile Zinfandel, and soon, Rosenblum Cellars and Carol Shelton we’re sourcing fruit from both father and son. In 2001, the Florences partnered with grape growers Rod and Cathy Park to petition Rockpile as a brand-new American Viticulture Area.”

What to expect from a Rockpile Reserve Zin from THE Florence Vineyard, crown jewel of this appellation that the who’s who of Zin (Beekeeper, Bella, Biale, Mauritson, Mazzocco, Pezzi King, Seghesio, Wilson, to name a few) proudly boast on their labels? A deep ruby color and nose of hibiscus and rooibos tea, spiced cranberry sauce, salted red licorice, and black cherry compote with notes of tangerine and mixed berry preserves; this is very layered, very perfumed. Medium to full-bodied, it’s lusciously flavored with loads of spicy fruits fanning out across the palate. Finely grained tannins too, with just enough freshness to carry the long, layered, nuanced finish for over a minute. Not a Zin for the faint of heart!

If you’re somewhat unfamiliar with Carol Shelton’s legacy, here’s a must-watch ZAP panel on the “the Queen of Zinfandel” along with fellow luminaries Joel Peterson, Larry Turley, and Kent Rosenblum:

We really don’t have the space here to list all her accolades. And surely not enough of this wine to waste more time. But know this – she’s a true legend. A few noteworthy ones include The André Tchelistcheff Award in 1993, Winemaker of the Year by Press Democrat in 1999, San Francisco Chronicle in 2005, and NorthBay biz in 2022 and 2023.

Speaking of awards, this wine is decked out like a general with 2 double gold and 7 gold medals, along with many matchingly high competition scores. By us, it’s easily a WIA candidate for Zin of the year.

Carol makes only a few barrels of her flagships; grab yours today and brag about it tomorrow.

95 Points, Best of Class, Double Gold – 2025 North Coast Wine Challenge