Review: 2007 Rocca Family Vineyards Bad Boy Red Napa Valley
As a general rule of thumb, I never drink wine with a picture of a cowboy on the label*. Rocca Family Vineyards’ Bad Boy Red just might deserve an exemption from that rule, however.
This red wine is a blend of 40% cabernet sauvignon, 33% cabernet franc, 17% merlot, and 10% petit verdot. That should raise an eyebrow: That’s a lot of cab franc in a blend, but it serves to add complexity to what might otherwise be a relatively simple wine, all from estate vineyards of the Rocca family.
It’s an approachable wine today, far fruitier than you’d expect, with an almost zin-like jam character to it, braced by some herbal character — rosemary and sage, mostly. There’s not much body here, however, and that’s a shame. 2007 Bad Boy Red is lighter than its varietal components would indicate, and it has no tannic backbone. Tis a pity. This is not so much a bad boy as it is a naughty toddler in need of a time out.
B / $32 / roccawines.com
* The “cowboy” on the label is actually a medical doctor, the husband of Mary Rocca, who provides palliative AIDS care in Malawi, Africa.
2007 Rocca Family Vineyards Bad Boy Red Napa Valley
$32
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