A. Rafanelli is the quiet legend of Dry Creek Valley: a family operation that has farmed the same West Dry Creek Road estate since the 1950s, selling its wines directly, by appointment at the winery and through the A. List, its waitlisted membership. No widespread distribution, no fanfare. The wines are honest, beautifully structured expressions of Dry Creek terroir, and the Rafanelli family's commitment to restraint and consistency over decades has earned them a fiercely loyal following. If you can get on the list, do it.
Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel: the wine that made Rafanelli's name, a famed, dry-farmed estate Zin with blackberry-jam fruit, white-pepper spice and notes of vanilla and anise, exceptionally balanced and built to age.
Terrace Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley: the portfolio's flagship, selected from the best blocks of the Terraced Hillside vineyard and aged 36 months in new French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Estate Merlot, Dry Creek Valley: charming and supple, rounding out a small, focused lineup of estate reds.
The Rafanelli family has grown grapes in Dry Creek Valley since the early 1900s, with four generations carrying on a quality-over-quantity tradition. Rashell 'Shelly' Rafanelli is head winemaker, and the lineup is completed by an Estate Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
The tasting itself is refreshingly uncomplicated: a casual pour hosted by a Rafanelli family member, typically on the patio behind the winery overlooking terraced hillside vineyards. Parties are limited to six guests, tastings are $25 per person (complimentary for up to four with an active A. List membership), and reservations must be made by phone: the family doesn't use email. Visiting hours change with the seasons and the cellar schedule, and purchases are by appointment too, which is part of the point.
