Rock Wall Obsidian Black Rock Ranch – A Rich, Almost Decadent Fruit Bomb That Just Goes A Little Too Far

50% Petite Sirah, 50% Zinfandel. Sample received courtesy Rock Wall Wine Company for review purposes. SRP of $20.

From the bottle:

This wine is a blend of 50% Zinfandel and 50% Petite Sirah from Nil Venge’s Black Rock Ranch in the Red Hills of Lake County. The vines are head-pruned and grown in the volcanic soil from the Red Hills. This vineyard is so packed full of obsidian that it actually glows under the moonlight. The finished wine is rich with sasparilla, red licorice, graphite minerality, dark chocolate, cherry vanilla, venison, cola, and has a soft, velvety blueberry finish. 15.1% alcohol.

Only 203 cases of the 2009 Rock Wall Obsidian were produced. So how many grapes does it take to make 203 cases? About 4 tons according to the winemaker:

The Zinfandel and Petite Sirah grapes came to us on September 29th, 2009. With only two tons of each, lots that small always feel like babies, so essentially these two lots were babied a bit. We crushed, fermented and aged them independently of one another, so they could develop their own personalities.

The 2009 Rock Wall Obsidian exhibits aromas of cherry vanilla coke and root beer on the nose. This is a sweet, fruity and spicy wine with zing. The high alcohol level adds some heat to the medium long finish. This is a solid 8, my only hesitation is that there is nothing subtle about this wine at all, everything about it is over the top. It’s like going to see one of the crazy action movies that Hollywood puts out these days…don’t try to think about it too much, just sit back and enjoy the ride and you’ll have a great time.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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