Blue Rock Vineyard: New Releases from Sonoma County
Blue Rock Vineyard, owned and operated by Kenny Kahn, is a small artisanal winery in Alexander Valley that produces high quality, hand-crafted, Bordeaux-inspired wines and Pinot Noir from Sonoma County grapes. Having reviewed these wines over the years, we are gratified to observe notable improvements in the quality of the wines produced by this estate. They are clearly the result of improvements both in the vineyard and in winemaking.
Blue Rock currently has 46 acres of vineyards planted with five Bordeaux varietals and three acres of hillside Syrah. The vineyards are densely planted with low-yielding vines and are managed following sustainable agricultural practices. Since its establishment over a decade ago, Blue Rock Vineyard has expanded its production to 20,000 cases annually and distributes its wines throughout the US and in Europe. Blue Rock Vineyard”s new releases reviewed below are first-class, and we were especially impressed with the 2022 barrel fermented Chardonnay and the 2019 Merlot Best Barrels.
The Wines
Blue Rock Vineyard 2022 Baby Blue Chardonnay Petaluma Gap Sonoma County ($48) 95 The 2022 Baby Blue Chardonnay is the best Chardonnay we have tasted from this producer. Barrel fermented, it displays a lemon-yellow color and offers gorgeous aromas and flavors of orchard fruit with tropical fruit notes and a hint of toast. On the palate it reveals a full mouth feel with richly concentrated stone fruit flavors, good acidity and balance and a persistent finish. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, it pairs beautifully with salmon, but will be delicious with other dishes of fish and fowl.
Blue Rock Vineyard 2021 Baby Blue Sonoma County ($34) 93 The 2021 Baby Blue is a tasty blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and small amounts of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Dark ruby in color, it is silky soft on the attack and offers nicely integrated black fruit aromas and flavors. It is also nicely balanced on the palate with round tannins and a long rich finish. A pleasant-drinking wine!
Blue Rock Vineyard 2020 Baby Blue Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap Sonoma County ($48) 93+ Sourced from the Gapstone Estate Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap, the Baby Blue Pinot Noir displays a medium dark ruby color and is soft and spicy on the attack. On the palate it reveals a full mouth feel with ripe dark cherry flavors, excellent balance, and silky tannins. A Pinot Noir that will pair well with a wide variety of dishes.
Blue Rock Vineyard 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley ($60) 93 Dark ruby.in color, the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon offers ripe black currant and cassis aromas and concentrated pure black fruit flavors. Aged in French oak, it offers soft round tannins with excellent balance. This is a quintessential top quality Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed with a charred steak and other grilled meats.
Blue Rock Vineyard 2019 Merlot Best Barrels Alexander Valley Sonoma County ($75) 95 The 2019 Merlot Best Barrels is a gorgeous wine. Dark ruby in color, it offers savory ripe dark fruit aromas and flavors combined with hints of roasted red pepper and rich toasted oak. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, it is aged in 44% new French oak for 28 months. A refined wine, it displays a silky mouth feel with soft round tannins and a persistent finish. Reassessing this bottling since we reviewed it about a year ago, we believe it now deserves a higher score.
