Farmed in the Rodeno family vineyard on a well-drained mountain site in Napa Valley, it yields only 1-2 tons/acre. The resulting wines are consistently full-bodied, with good intensity and color; the acidity typical of this varietal assures cellaring potential. The first vintage bottled was 1988, hand made in the Rodeno barn in Oakville. The ragazzi (kids) were only two and four years old then, bu
t they helped as only kids can. Punching down the cap with their little arms was sticky good fun. Due to the phylloxera infestation that hit Napa in the 1990's, the vineyard had to be ripped out and replanted. (The last pre-phylloxera vintage, 1998, is still drinking exceptionally well.) The complexities of replanting on hillsides in Napa Valley delayed further winemaking until 2008, but the crop was too small to vinify. In 2009, there were enough grapes to take seriously (1.5 tons total), so we arranged to have them custom crushed at Antica Napa Valley. As fate would have it, one of the ragazzi was working crush at Antica while applying to grad school, and had the honor of once again making the family wine by hand. His arms are much longer now. In late 2011, we released the 2009 Villa Ragazzi Sangiovese, all 75 cases of it, our first new vintage in more than a decade. In late 2012, we released our inaugural super Tuscan blend (25% Cabernet Sauvignon), the 2010 Faraona. We also released the 2010 Sangiovese. We bottled fewer than 75 cases of each wine. Today Villa Ragazzi grows and bottles small amounts of award-winning Sangiovese, super-Tuscan Faraona, and a dry Rosato di Sangiovese.
