2021 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir River Block Vineyard

The 2021 Pinot Noir River Block is another dense, somber wine in this lineup. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mocha, licorice and gravel add to an impression of brooding, virile intensity. Rich and dramatic, with a huge mid-palate of fruit, the River Block demands cellaring. Potent tannins are pretty much buried by the fruit, but they are there. This site was planted in 1989 with a variant of Wente clone that is now known as the Rochioli clone.

A darker saturated ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir River Block takes on layers of complexity, with violets, black raspberry liqueur, framboise, mineral earth, and a touch of cocoa powder. Full-bodied, it displays expansive fruit of black cherry and blackberry, pressed flowers, and toasted tea leaf and has a fleshy texture with ripe tannins. Its structure reminds me of a Gevrey Chambertin. Drink 2025-2040. Tom Rochioli is leading his historic family winery and vineyards along with his wife Theresa and their children, Rachael (General Manager) and Ryan (Assistant Winemaker). The focus is on estate-grown expressions of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and old vine Sauvignon Blanc. Tom’s grandparents came to the Russian River Valley in 1938, having immigrated from Italy in 1911, and moved to the 125-acre Fenton Acres property where the winery is today. In the 1970s and 1980s, Tom’s father Joe began selling their grapes to winemakers Davis Bynum and Williams Selyem, who produced some of the best wines in the region. It wasn’t until 1983 that Rochioli decided to produce their own wines and renamed the property from Fenton Acres to Rochioli Vineyards. Tom’s father, Joe Rochioli Sr., passed away last August. In May, I had the opportunity to tour the vineyards with Tom and taste each of the wines for this report with him at the winery. Not all vineyard tours are created equal, and it is truly an enlightening and inspiring experience to see their old, moss-covered vines that are the source material for not only their own wines but for those of some of the top producers in Sonoma today. The River Block, where they fight Pierce’s disease, is a more vigorous site adjacent to the Russian River. He selects from the older pieces for his wines from this site. Three Corner Vineyard, which his father planted in 1974, was the first vineyard Tom ever trained, but it’s challenging to keep alive. Little Hill and Sweetwater are the biggest contributors to the estate wine. The Rochiolis practice no-till farming in the vineyard unless they’re trying to revive young re-plantings. Across the board, their wines are silky, expressive, age-worthy, and outright delicious.