2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON MONTE ROSSO VINEYARD

Vineyard Notes

Appellation

100% Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma Valley AVA, California

Composition

98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit

Verdot

Alcohol Content

16.1%

Residual Sugar

0.6g/L Ph

3.63

Titratable Acidity

6.1g/L

Accolade

95 Points- Wine Spectator

Owned by the Louis M. Martini Winery since 1938, it is named for its rich, red volcanic soils and has produced award-winning wines for three generations. The vineyard’s mix of high altitude, position above the fog line, low-yielding vines and ideal western exposure produces wines with a unique sense of terroir. Monte Rosso is one of California’s most prized locations for wine grapes.

Vinicultural Notes

In 2018, we had an ideal summer with generous sun-filled days and cooler marineinfluenced nights, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes.

The mild weather continued late into fall creating a very long growing season which allowed excellent flavour development and expression. Harvest 2018 produced fruit with complex flavour characteristics and outstanding aromatics.

Winemaker Notes

Select Cabernet Sauvignon blocks were carefully hand harvested and hand sorted, then gravity fed into small, open top fermenters for cold soaking up to three days. After fermentation, the wine was racked by gravity into oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. The blocks were aged separately for months before the final blend was assembled and sent back to barrel for more aging. The wine was barrel aged for 28 months in a combination of French oak barrels, 69% new, and American oak barrels, 19% new.

Wine Profile

Our 2018 Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a slice of history in a glass. We gathered the fruit from a selection of our favourite blocks in our historic Monte Rosso Vineyard, including the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon block in California. The nose fills with Monte Rosso’s signature spice and sweet wood aromatics and a thread of smoky ancho. Notes of ripe cherry, black currant and warm plum compote fill the palate. Underlying hints of sarsaparilla and caramelized oak lead to a long, earthy finish with a touch of wet clay.