About five miles from our winery up the gently winding Westside Road, the 162-acre Rochioli Vineyard was originally purchased in 1938 by Joe Rochioli, Sr. The vision of growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay along these fertile, gravelly soils was carried out by Joe Jr. after his father’s passing in 1966. Of the 128 planted acres on the Rochioli Vineyard, half is planted to various clones of Pinot Noir. This release brings together several stand-out blocks on the property, including three planted in 1974, 1995 and 2000, where some of the vines come from cuttings taken from the original “mother” block planted in 1968. At a time when Pinot Noir was virtually unknown here in the Russian River Valley, Joe Rochioli Jr. was ahead of his time in selecting the Pommard clone for these initial plantings.