Here Before The Redrawing
TASTING NOTES: “From the fruit-forward aromas to the lingering flavors, Sonoma Classico blends the characteristics of each grape seamlessly: red fruit with a touch of warm cooking spices; a rich and velvety taste with plum, spice, and dark berries. Smooth tannins and light toast notes highlight the rounded and lasting finish.” (AbV 14.5%)
VARIETALS: A proprietary blend of Merlot, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Sangiovese
BARRELS: 12 months in American Oak barrels, 28% new oak
PAIRS WITH: N/A
THAT REMINDS ME OF: The word “Classico.”
In Italy, Classico on a wine label isn’t just a vibe — it’s a legally defined geographic designation. Chianti Classico, Soave Classico, Bardolino Classico: the “Classico” zone is always the original, historical heartland of the appellation, the place where the wine was made before the boundaries got redrawn and expanded outward. When production of a popular wine explodes and the official region balloons to accommodate demand, the original producers band together and ring-fence their turf. They essentially say: we were here first, and our patch has a name now. It’s territorial, a little defensive, and completely understandable.
The same dynamic plays out constantly outside of wine. The Screen Actors Guild has a “Classic Division” for performers who’ve been members for 60 years. There’s “Classic” Coca-Cola, which only exists because they tried to change Coca-Cola and people lost their minds. NASA’s Voyager probes are sometimes called the “classic” deep-space missions to distinguish them from newer ones. The word keeps getting deployed whenever something new threatens to crowd out something old and beloved — it’s less a description of quality than a declaration of priority. “I was here before all this,” Classico says, gesturing broadly at everything around it.
Pedroncelli has been in Dry Creek Valley since 1927, which means they were making Sonoma red blends before most of the region’s current neighbors were born, incorporated, or even dreamed of. Using the word “Classico” here isn’t marketing spin — it’s a quiet statement of precedence. The designation is self-assigned rather than legally protected, but honestly, who’s going to argue with nearly a century of receipts?
