Where Are The Monte Rosso Grapes Going???

[brigcampbell]

Here are the producers with Monte Rosso / Monte Rosso Vineyard designated fruit from CT between 2012-2015

Monte Rosso Vineyard

Bedrock Wine Co. 44.4% Bottles (3,545)

Carlisle 27.0% Bottles (2,151)

Robert Biale 8.9% Bottles (707)

Cameron Hughes 5.0% Bottles (397)

Sbragia Family 4.8% Bottles (386)

Louis M. Martini 4.6% Bottles (368)

Charter Oak 1.9% Bottles (154)

Black Stallion Estate Winery 1.2% Bottles (98)

Pangloss 0.9% Bottles (69)

Arrowood 0.8% Bottles (62)

August Briggs 0.2% Bottles (19)

Brazin 0.1% Bottles (9)

Rock Wall Wine Co. 0.1% Bottles (5)

Rosenblum Cellars 0.1% Bottles (5)

Homemade 0.1% Bottles (4)

Lasseter Family Winery 0.0% Bottles (0)

Monte Rosso

Seghesio Family Vineyards 62.2% Bottles (1,190)

Louis M. Martini 12.2% Bottles (234)

Amapola Creek 8.5% Bottles (162)

B Wise Vineyards 6.2% Bottles (118)

Rock Wall Wine Co. 4.5% Bottles (86)

Mazzocco 2.4% Bottles (46)

Romililly 2.1% Bottles (41)

Lasseter Family Winery 0.9% Bottles (17)

Wilson 0.6% Bottles (11)

Louis M. Martini Winery 0.4% Bottles (8)

And here’s the grape breakdown

Zinfandel 87.1% Bottles (6,950)

Cabernet Sauvignon 12.9% Bottles (1,026)

Red Blend 0.0% Bottles (3)

[TomHill]

@M. Sai

@Rich Brown

Unfortunately it sounds like Gallo will be keeping all of the Monte Rosso fruit moving forward

This is unfortunately correct - I’ve heard from a couple reliable sources that 2016 was the last vintage that Gallo will sell fruit to other wineries.

That’s sorta sad. I can’t imagine what they’re going to do w/ that Semillon…which makes an exceptional white.
Tom

[Drew_Goin]

I asked someone who is physically on the vineyard site regularly.

I was trying to see if the MR fruit was destined to go into L. Martini, Rancho Zabaco, or if a new label was around the corner for Gallo.

The individual was not at liberty to say and, more likely, would be the last to know.

[Brian_Tuite]

@Drew Goin

I asked someone who is physically on the vineyard site regularly.

I was trying to see if the MR fruit was destined to go into L. Martini, Rancho Zabaco, or if a new label was around the corner for Gallo.

The individual was not at liberty to say and, more likely, would be the last to know.

One thing you will learn about Gallo is that the employees do not share information with anyone. Not even family members. Everything is disseminated through press releases.

[PeterJ]

I have an '07 Rosenblum Monte Rosso Zin I’ve been hanging onto. Is it time to drink?

[Eric_Ifune]

Monte Rosso was planted decades ago by Louis Martini who first bought the land. It’s been the backbone of their great Cabernets since the 1940’s.

[Al_Osterheld]

I think it was originally planted in the 1920s, then bought by Martini who did a lot ad planting of their own. Not sure whether any of the original vines are still there.

-Al

[M_Sai]

A reasonable guesstimate could be made of where MR fruit will go after taking a look at Gallo’s recent acquisition activities.

[Rich_Brown]

@M. Sai

A reasonable guesstimate could be made of where MR fruit will go after taking a look at Gallo’s recent acquisition activities.

Please, please don’t put these grapes in The Prisoner.

[B_Brockmeyer]

Just looked through Parker and only found the following:

2013 Louis Martini Lot 1 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. Fruit from Martini and other growers but all from Napa, at least the minimum required to put Napa Valley on label. Could be some Monte Rosso in there but definitely not solely from MR.

Highest MR designated wine is 96pts attained by Martini and Arrowood. The '13 and '14 Martini Gnarly Vine got 93 and 95 respectively.

An amazing vineyard site and hopefully Gallo will continue to showcase what the smaller producers have shown can be done from that property.

[PeterJ]

@Rich Brown

@M. Sai

A reasonable guesstimate could be made of where MR fruit will go after taking a look at Gallo’s recent acquisition activities.

Please, please don’t put these grapes in The Prisoner.

Unless I missed a chessboard move or two The Prisoner is now owned by Constellation, not Gallo. Gallo bought Orin Swift but Phinney had sold The Prisoner prior to that. Getting whiplash from all the moves.

[Rich_Brown]

@PeterJ

@Rich Brown

@M. Sai

A reasonable guesstimate could be made of where MR fruit will go after taking a look at Gallo’s recent acquisition activities.

Please, please don’t put these grapes in The Prisoner.

Unless I missed a chessboard move or two The Prisoner is now owned by Constellation, not Gallo. Gallo bought Orin Swift but Phinney had sold The Prisoner prior to that. Getting whiplash from all the moves.

Ahhh! Yep, you’re correct Peter. So no MR grapes in The Prisoner.

But Papillon on the other hand…

[rsmithjr]

I have enjoyed the 2012 and 2013 Monte Rosso Cabernets from Cameron Hughes. They have been fantastic wines at excellent prices- around $ 32 a bottle. Unfortunately I confirmed today with Tom at CHW that there will not be any more MR for CHW. I am bummed.

The cabernets were deep with cedar and fruits, oh my… ;-(

[Rich_Brown]

Had this again, and i still kinda want to hate this wine being that the Monte Rosso fruit is owned by a massive corporation and some of my fave zin producers are no longer getting grapes (Bedrock, Carlisle, etc)…but I just can’t. It’s a really good zinfandel with blue and black briary fruits, ample acidity, and a relatively long finish. A very well made wine from one of the best old vine vineyards in CA. ‘Sellin out’ has never tasted so good.

[Jason_Oliver]

They only made 500 cases of the 2014 gnarly vine. Louis martini and gallo get a lot of crap here but they still are producing good juice. I dig a lot of the louis martini portfolio. The gallo signature series wines are also nice for the pricepoint.

Still, I am still super bummed my favorite zin producers aren’t getting this fruit anymore.

[Drew_Goin]

@Al Osterheld

FWIW, Louis Martini (not L&M) have been getting Zinfandel from Monte Ross for at least a couple of decades (along with other varieties for even longer).

-Al

PHOTOSHOP REQUEST:

Please label this pack of cigarettes “Monte Rossi Vineyard”, OR label the OP bottle “Ligett & Myers/Morris”.

FYI: Altria, which owns many wine labels, used to be… “RJ Reynolds”.

Altria

Good times.

Another Fun Fact:
Most winemakers will cite vineyard location as the greatest factor in the potential quality of a wine over all other factors.

FWIW: I believe that the future wines from the Monte Rosso Vineyard will be impressive stuff. There are some good folks behind the farming of this piece of wine history. Perhaps the given example (2013 L. Martini “Gnarly Vines” Zinfandel) just needs a few years to strut its stuff?

I am trying to be positive here, folks.

[Drew_Goin]

Oh, and Gallo is planting a new parcel of a Bordeaux variety (Cabernet Franc?) on the Monte Rosso Vineyard location, according to FB.

I don’t believe that an old plot is being ripped out; the new is merely a previously unused part of the mountain site.

[Anthony_Iezzi]

Which frys location are you referring to?

[Rich_Brown]

@Anthony Iezzi

Which frys location are you referring to?

Tatum and Shea.

[ClydeUnderwood]

I asked someone at one of the tables (who was pouring a MR zin) at the zap tasting at Trentadue on August 13 about MR fruit and he said it would be going to Orin Swift.