2014 & 2015 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
Gold Medal ~ 2022 Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2014 Vintage)
Tasting Notes
The 2014 & 2015 Rocking Z Zinfandel, like their predecessors, display a deep rich color, forward aromas, and lively flavors of berries, black pepper, and anise, with that wonderful Zin quality of being immediately drinkable while possessing the balance and structure to improve with aging.
Situated at the base of Bradford Mountain on the western slopes of Dry Creek Valley, Shippey Vineyards is comprised of two small gold medal-winning vineyards, one planted to Zinfandel, the Rocking Z Vineyard and the other to Petite Sirah, the Flaming J Vineyard. With its well-drained gravelly loam soil and vines grafted to the St. Peters Church (Cloverdale) heritage clone, the Rocking Z Vineyard produces intensely flavored fruit with the spicy character indicative of Zinfandel grown in the premier growing region for this quintessential California variety.
Specs
Vintage: 2014
Grapes: 100% Zinfandel
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Barrel Aging: 36 months in French & American Oak
Alcohol: 14.9%
Residual Sugar: Dry
Aging Potential: 5-10 years
Production: 350 cases
Winemaker: Mike Duffy
Specs
Vintage: 2015
Grapes: 100% Zinfandel
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Barrel Aging: 36 months in French & American Oak
Alcohol: 14.9%
Residual Sugar: Dry
Aging Potential: 5-10 years
Production: 210 cases
Winemaker: Mike Duffy
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2014 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
2x 2015 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley Case:
6x 2014 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
6x 2015 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
As grape farmers who live in Sonoma County, we think of our wines as FOOD - a food that comes from our vineyard to your table. We spend much more time in our vineyards growing the best grapes possible than we do in the winery making the wine. We firmly believe that “the grapes make the wine.” We like to say you can make a bad wine out of good grapes but you cannot make a great wine out of bad grapes. With our single vineyard varietals, the Rocking Z Zinfandel and Flaming J Petite Sirah, there are no winemaking or blending “tricks” we can use to make the wine taste differently than what the grapes give us.
Because we are so small (under 1000 cases per year) our wines are limited production of individually handcrafted artisanal foods, each with its own distinct character. These are not wines you can find on the shelf of your local supermarket. Our wines are hand crafted small lot wines, each with an individual and distinctive “voice” that speaks to its unique vineyard location, heritage, and cultivation. If you are one of those people looking for sustainably grown artisanal small production handmade wines THAT TASTE GOOD, then please give us a try.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel Mix
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Alice popped into my inbox last week with an opportunity to rat an upcoming offer. I never hesitate to say yes to Alice, and I was rewarded with today’s intriguing vertical offer of Shippey Vineyards “Rocking Z Vineyard” 2014 & 2015 Dry Creek Zinfandels.
First, I love Dry Creek Zins. I went to college in Sonoma County, spent many a days traversing Healdsburg/Geyserville wineries, and have good friends now calling Cloverdale home. To me, the warm days that Dry Creek Valley experience during the summer are ripe for quality Zinfandel production, and todays offer does not disappoint.
Popping both the 2014 and 2015 simultaneously and pouring a glass of each side by side for comparison proved advantageous. While the 2014 shows outstanding structure, smooth, with a black/boysenberry “bramble” spice, the 2015 seems sweeter, stronger tannins (“heat”); with a very earthy finish. The 2015 also had sediment, worth noting in that the 2014 did not. That never bothers me, and it could just be the single 2015 bottle I ratted, but definitely worth mentioning.
To me and others in my tasting circle, the 2014 is the star of this offer. Age has served the 2014 well, and with 350 cases produced, is a limited production single vineyard wine.
Pairing both wines a little later with leftover homemade classic beef lasagna (Pecorino is a secret ingredient!) for dinner is a great pairing, as most Zinfandels pair well with meat or tomato based dishes.
I’m around all day to answer your questions. As always, many thanks to Alice and @winedavid39 for the rat opportunity!
@coolac5 Mods, someone please give this a LabRat header! EDITED never mind they did it!
Thanks for detailed review. Great co-incidence that you were very familiar with this area. I have driven through there many times but never explored Dry Creek Valley.
I was a bit concerned about terms in the product description “forward aromas, and lively flavors” because I find many Central California Zins overly ‘jammy’ and I think some producers actually go for that. I know this is not Central CA and so I was hopeful that the terms they used were just standard marketing stuff and maybe the wine would be much better than my lower expectations. Your review seems to confirm this.
Also even with the years 2014-2015 do you think these would be able to hold up a bit longer if cellared?
@pmarin I do not find either to be jammy. I know exactly what you are speaking of, and prefer that description to be associated with Pinot Noirs. I think both are able to hold up longer with proper cellaring, and after revisiting the 2015, it is opening up, less of an earthy finish.
Reverse Wine Snob offered the 2014 in April, saying:
We love Zins from the Dry Creek Valley and today we’ve got an excellent example that comes from a single vineyard on the hillside slopes at the base of Bradford Mountain. Made from 100% Zinfandel, the wine spends 36 months in French and American oak. The 2014 we are offering today is aged to perfection at this point - literally, we gave it a Perfect 10 Taste Rating. It also received a Gold Medal at the 2022 Harvest Fair.
The 2014 Shippey Vineyards Rocking Z Zinfandel opens with pleasing aromas of black cherry, black pepper and licorice plus a little chocolate and assorted spices. And while it’s a bit shy on the nose when it’s first popped and poured, it does open up more with time in the glass.
Taking a sip reveal this wine is definitely not shy in the mouth! Featuring a smooth mouthfeel with great balance, all those wonderful components from the nose come together beautifully and expressively when tasting. Fantastic and savory, this is a great example of Dry Creek Valley Zin. It ends dry and very long on the delicious finish and it just keeps getting better with air. I love it! It was just as good on day 2.
As mentioned the 2014 was gold at 2022 Sonoma County Harvest Fair and the 2015 was bronze.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel Mix - $40 = 19.04%
2014 & 2015 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
Gold Medal ~ 2022 Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2014 Vintage)
Tasting Notes
Specs
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$336.00/Case for 6x 2014 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley + 6x 2015 Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley at Shippey Vineyards
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 31 - Tuesday, Aug 1
Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel Mix
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2014
2015
@ilCesare welcome back from your day off!
Mike Duffy is a name that I recognize. Is John Hawley from Hawley wines?
Alice popped into my inbox last week with an opportunity to rat an upcoming offer. I never hesitate to say yes to Alice, and I was rewarded with today’s intriguing vertical offer of Shippey Vineyards “Rocking Z Vineyard” 2014 & 2015 Dry Creek Zinfandels.
First, I love Dry Creek Zins. I went to college in Sonoma County, spent many a days traversing Healdsburg/Geyserville wineries, and have good friends now calling Cloverdale home. To me, the warm days that Dry Creek Valley experience during the summer are ripe for quality Zinfandel production, and todays offer does not disappoint.
Popping both the 2014 and 2015 simultaneously and pouring a glass of each side by side for comparison proved advantageous. While the 2014 shows outstanding structure, smooth, with a black/boysenberry “bramble” spice, the 2015 seems sweeter, stronger tannins (“heat”); with a very earthy finish. The 2015 also had sediment, worth noting in that the 2014 did not. That never bothers me, and it could just be the single 2015 bottle I ratted, but definitely worth mentioning.
To me and others in my tasting circle, the 2014 is the star of this offer. Age has served the 2014 well, and with 350 cases produced, is a limited production single vineyard wine.
Pairing both wines a little later with leftover homemade classic beef lasagna (Pecorino is a secret ingredient!) for dinner is a great pairing, as most Zinfandels pair well with meat or tomato based dishes.
I’m around all day to answer your questions. As always, many thanks to Alice and @winedavid39 for the rat opportunity!
@coolac5 Mods, someone please give this a LabRat header! EDITED never mind they did it!
Thanks for detailed review. Great co-incidence that you were very familiar with this area. I have driven through there many times but never explored Dry Creek Valley.
I was a bit concerned about terms in the product description “forward aromas, and lively flavors” because I find many Central California Zins overly ‘jammy’ and I think some producers actually go for that. I know this is not Central CA and so I was hopeful that the terms they used were just standard marketing stuff and maybe the wine would be much better than my lower expectations. Your review seems to confirm this.
Also even with the years 2014-2015 do you think these would be able to hold up a bit longer if cellared?
@pmarin I do not find either to be jammy. I know exactly what you are speaking of, and prefer that description to be associated with Pinot Noirs. I think both are able to hold up longer with proper cellaring, and after revisiting the 2015, it is opening up, less of an earthy finish.
Reverse Wine Snob offered the 2014 in April, saying:
We love Zins from the Dry Creek Valley and today we’ve got an excellent example that comes from a single vineyard on the hillside slopes at the base of Bradford Mountain. Made from 100% Zinfandel, the wine spends 36 months in French and American oak. The 2014 we are offering today is aged to perfection at this point - literally, we gave it a Perfect 10 Taste Rating. It also received a Gold Medal at the 2022 Harvest Fair.
The 2014 Shippey Vineyards Rocking Z Zinfandel opens with pleasing aromas of black cherry, black pepper and licorice plus a little chocolate and assorted spices. And while it’s a bit shy on the nose when it’s first popped and poured, it does open up more with time in the glass.
Taking a sip reveal this wine is definitely not shy in the mouth! Featuring a smooth mouthfeel with great balance, all those wonderful components from the nose come together beautifully and expressively when tasting. Fantastic and savory, this is a great example of Dry Creek Valley Zin. It ends dry and very long on the delicious finish and it just keeps getting better with air. I love it! It was just as good on day 2.
As mentioned the 2014 was gold at 2022 Sonoma County Harvest Fair and the 2015 was bronze.
Back label 2014:
fwiw
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Shippey Rocking Z Vineyards Zinfandel Mix - $40 = 19.04%
/giphy minty-educated-memory
@nicholfd Ummm… OK
Gotta love them random giphys.
Maybe she was looking at the pictures of the Mehn’s tight underwear on the other site?
@pmarin - I think it’s a guy with a 70’s curly style…
@nicholfd think you’re right actually. The VHS-quality image seems to confirm that. (the era, not the hairstyle)