The guys behind Shippey Vineyards are four wine industry veterans. Matt Shippey has farmed his vineyard on the slopes of Bradford Mountain since 1983. Matt's cousin, Tim Shippey, has been in the business for decades, marketing wine for wineries as large as Clos du Bois (where he was Brand Manager).
Vineyard Manager John Clendenen is a respected name in the industry, and exemplifies the Shippey Vineyards philosophy of minimal intrusion into the growing process. Winemaker Mike Duffy is the award-winning owner of Optima Wine Cellars, and is a longtime family friend. Mike makes our wine in his small facility in downtown Healdsburg.
The 2005 Rocking Z Vineyard Zinfandel is our first release, and it turns out we might be almost as smart as those 19th Century farmers. The wine is true to the character of the fruit, and demonstrates the potential of the St. Peters Church (Cloverdale) heritage clone, to which the vines were grafted, grown in the well drained gravelly loam soil of our hillside vineyards.
Rocking Z Zinfandel is a deep rich color with forward aromas and flavors of berries and spice, and it has that magical Zin quality of being immediately drinkable, while possessing the structure to age well.
Fun, accessible, a little forward, and an ability to age well. Are we bragging about ourselves or our wines? The answer is: both.
