Mancini

His name is Mancini. And sure enough, his grapes pack a punch.

When we met him, Rudy Mancini welcomed us with a warm handshake—which felt like it could crush rocks. So we had to ask. Yes, he's not only a relative of the great boxer, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini; Rudy himself was "The Kid" Mancini in the 1950s.

We'd already heard about his Zinfandel grapes, but none of us were prepared for that "pow-right-in-the-kisser" we got from our first handful. The flavors were incredible. You could taste the massively dark and pure brambleberry fruit, right there—hanging from the vine. Pound for pound, it's some of the best stuff we've ever tasted. Yep, we had scored another great vineyard. The only problem: Now we had to shake on it!

Dry-farmed and mostly head-pruned, this Calistoga vineyard dates back as far as 1974. It benefits from Calistoga’s bale clay loam and alluvial rock soils and oppressive heat. Oh, and if you should find yourself meandering through the outskirts of Calistoga some day (which we highly recommend), keep an eye out for a little stone bridge. Rudy's vineyard is just a stone's throw away. Hence, Stonebridge.

Town: Calistoga

Region: Napa Valley

Appellation: Calistoga

Wines: Zinfandel