A varietal wine from some serious upstarts in California. Monte Rio is based in the town of the same name and was started by Patrick Cappiello. Patrick got his start as the sommelier of Tribeca Grill, and spent most of his prosessional life in the food and bev world. After meeting several wine makers, he became interested in the process of making the wine itself. Due to his backround, his focus remains on easy, food friendly wines with no additives as a reflection of the "New California" movement.
This particular bottling is made from 100% organically farmed Petite Sirah from the Bains vineyard in Lodi. The grapes are femented naturally via carbonic maceration. This technique is most famous for its use in Beaujolais Nouveau, and lets one get a lighter wine out of the normally brooding Petitie Sirah. After fermentation in concrete and stainless steel the wine is transferred into old french oak barrels.
This lighter take on a California classic has notes of cedar, tart plums, olives, and violets.
