2013 Beta Montecillo (Ketan Mody)

As most of you now know Beta is the non-estate project from Ketan Mody. The intention of Beta is to illustrate the type of classic cabernet that Ketan intends to make from his estate property on Diamond Mountain that will eventually be labeled as Jesud.

Some information on the vineyard from the Turley website:

Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon is extremely rare; old vine dry-farmed mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is dang near nonexistent. Planted at 1800 feet up Moon Mountain in Sonoma in the late 1960’s, the head-trained Montecillo vines are nearly 50 years old, and the wine they produce is downright mystical. The wine has a profound, layered and perfumed nose, and palate balances classic Cabernet Sauvignon structure, mountain tannins, and lush textures, culminating in a lengthy, lingering finish. Montecillo is pure, elegant magic, without any tricks.


I would also note the vineyard is planted on St. George Rootstock. The combination of St George, cooler climate, dry farming and elevation produce a truly unique Cabernet.

The wine was open right from the start. Elegant fruit that is distinctively California but not over ripe. It has a cool texture to the wine that is actually refreshing. Hints of herbs and mints add to the complexity. Just a beautiful overall wine that disappeared extremely fast amongst a group of old world drinkers.