The second part of a wine tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan and the tasting was conducted by Carla Jeffries who handles liaison work with the trade and media.  The name Blue Rock originates from the local soil studded with blue pebbles, rocks and boulders of serpentine.  The serpentine rock defines the terroir profile of the land, and it also naturally yields a smaller crop. The estate has forty-six acres of hillside vineyard planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec, and later they add three acres of Syrah.

The first red wine of the tasting was Blue Rock Winery “Black Label” Best Barrels Pinot Noir Gapstone Vineyard, Petaluma Gap Alexander Valley Sonoma County 2022.  You may have noticed that I have been showing photos of the back of the bottle labels, as the winery to conserve expenses, which is wise, has either a blue label or a black label that proclaims Blue Rock Winery, and the “Black Label” designates their Best Barrel wines.  This wine was selected from a four-barrel selection that features two Pinot Noir clones. Seventy-five percent is Swan Clone noted for low yields, small berries and velvety texture, while twenty-five percent is Calera Clone known for its age-worthy tannins.  The wine is pure Pinot Noir and was fermented and aged in French Oak, of which fifty percent was new, for ten months, with an additional five months in the bottle before release.  The four barrels produced eighty-eight cases.  The deep burgundy colored wine offered notes of raspberry, black cherry, and violet florals.  On the palate the medium-bodied, well balanced wine displayed tones of black cherry, plums and pomegranates along with balsam, dark chocolate and gravel that ended with a medium to long-count finish of fruit and terroir.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of this wine, so I am showing the two front labels.

The second red wine was the Blue Rock Winery Baby Blue Red Blend Alexander Valley, Sonoma County 2021.  This wine is eighty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon, seven percent Petit Verdot, three percent Syrah, one percent Cabernet Franc and one percent Malbec.  The wine was aged for sixteen months in French Oak, of which fifteen percent was new, with and additional seven months in the bottle.   This wine was a deep ruby red colored wine that offered notes of blackberry, currants, and secondary notes of graphite, cedar, peppercorn and vanilla.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of black and red fruits, black tea, savory spices and dark chocolate blending with moderate tannins and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.

The next wine was Blue Rock Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Estate Alexander Valley Sonoma County 2021.  This wine was a blend of ninety-four percent Cabernet Sauvignon, five percent Petit Verdot, and one percent Merlot.  The wine was fermented and aged for twenty-four months in French Oak, of which twenty-five percent was new, which an additional seven months in the bottle before release.  This deep garnet-red wine offered notes of dark and red fruits, especially boysenberry, along with dried herbs and spices and gravel.  On the palate this medium-bodied, full-balanced wine displayed tones of black cherry and blueberry, along with mint, graphite and cocoa blending with fine grain tannins and finishing with a medium to long-count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.