The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Rockpile

Varietal   Zinfandel

Retail Price   $34

ABV   13.9%

Score   4.5 Stars/94 points

In the Glass

Brilliant, medium ruby color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of apricot stone, peach, and kumquat with supporting notes of hibiscus flower, cinnamon, and red grapefruit.

The palate echoes the nose delivering a ripe orchard fruits-driven core with flavors of white peach, strawberry, and nectarine. The finish is long and lingering with citrus zest accents.

Medium-bodied and perfectly balanced with an opulent yet vibrant texture.

Cool Factor

It’s a bold and ultra-cool move to create a Rosé of Zinfandel. If you step out on that stage, you better nail it, and We Know Jack! Did just that!

Value Grade

Selling at $34 a bottle, this may not be your everyday Rosé, but it can be your weekend Rosé. It’s incredibly scarce, with just 70 cases made. In our estimation, it’s a value.

Analysis

We had the great pleasure of being introduced to We Know Jack! with their 2021 Rockpile Zinfandel. Their 2022 Rockpile Zin was even better. We thought we knew We Know Jack!, but we didn’t know it all. It was a terrific surprise to recently discover a Rosé from this superb independent wine brand. We know that Zinfandel is the star of the show at this exceptional vineyard. Zinfandel is capable of producing lovely and complex Rosé wines, but many shy away from making it due to the heavy cloud of White Zin that still lingers overhead. It takes a bold team of owners—Mark Zuckerman and Lori Hunt—along with winemaker extraordinaire James MacPhail, to give a Zinfandel Rosé its proper platform. They dedicated a block of their Zinfandel vineyard to Rosé farming and harvested it for this purpose (harvested on 20 September 2024). They directly pressed the grapes after a short steeping to extract some color, as well as aromatics and flavor. While their classic red Zin includes a bit of Petite Sirah in the blend, this wine is 100% Zinfandel. The resulting wine is charming and thought-provoking. Get yours while it’s still available.

How to Enjoy

Serve chilled but not too cold. Enjoy a bottle now and lay one or two down in the cellar for next summer. Serve with roasted fowl, oily fish, and herb-crusted roasted pork.