MONTE RIO CELLARS & SKULL WINES
Founded by renowned Sommelier, Patrick Cappiello (TriBeCa Grill, Veritas, GILT, and Pearl & Ash) in 2018, Monte Rio Cellars is a wholly natural, no additives, organically farmed wine project focusing on heritage and classic California varieties. Skull Wines is a collaboration with famed ‘Rhône Ranger’, Pax Mahle. I personally find it intriguing how someone who spent a career as a Sommelier developing huge, classically-oriented, vertical-heavy wine lists that have won numerous Wine Spectator Grand Awards (the highest distinction they offer – three glasses) has turned into a winemaker that eschews typicity and convention, instead focusing on harnessing the beauty of mother nature in any given vintage through a non-interventionalist approach, as I myself come from a similar background as a Somm/Wine Director and am still trying to figure out how an old dog learns new tricks, to which I’m very open. I suppose the answer is PASSION versus a job…? Having recently tasted with Patrick for the first time only last week, I was very impressed with the wines he makes and the man himself.
Good wine is good wine, produced naturally or conventionally. Natural does not mean ‘good’; it means…well, natural. However, these wines are BOTH! Patrick’s passion for both his wines and conviction to his steadfast ethos were readily apparent to me – this is in what he believes and in my humble opinion, it’s a very successful marriage of purpose and practice. We carry a number of his wines and they kinda rock…so, let’s talk about ‘em!
2020 Monte Rio Cellars, Primitivo, Lodi, CA ($24.99)
Primitivo is the Italian name for the Zinfandel grape. I have written about it before and I will certainly write about again, here and in the future; wine is made by humans who elect to use various techniques in the vineyard and winery that ultimately result in styles that can vary greatly. Most know Zinfandel as a fruit forward, high(er) alcohol wine that more typically than not has a certain level of richness and a tooth staining purply thing going on. Some are outrageously delicious; some can be pretty heavy handed with a good deal of residual sugar.
This wine is anything but the latter. I love the lighter (than typical) weight of this wine which frankly drinks more like Pinot Noir than your ‘typical’ Zin. It has this super interesting smoky character in the finish, elegant freshness and a very medium sort of body. Vivid blue-tinged ruby color leading to an intensely fragrant red fruit aroma with very ‘Lodi’ nuances of black tea and almost umami-like protein quality (think aged cheese), with leafy/herby undertones. The entry on the palate is soft and gentle, but by the middle it becomes zesty, edgy yet meaty in its fruit focus, lingering with a moderate tannin and herbal/leafy notes.
The deep color and fruit focus, according to Cappiello, is a product of 100% whole cluster carbonic maceration (whereby whole clusters are sealed in a closed tank, initiating an intracellular fermentation in each berry resulting in softer tannins and elevated fruit qualities). That sense of "nakedness" in the wine's fruit profile and earth toned distinctions is also attributable to Cappiello and Mahle's unsulfured approach to winemaking, done entirely with native yeasts and strictly neutral "old wood," and finished at a very restrained 12.5% alcohol. Burgers, Charcuterie, Salmon, Monkfish, Swordfish….this wine can handle a wide array of cuisine and it’s a blast to drink!
Quite a bit further north than Lodi (which is in the Sierra Foothills – or on the Western part) the Chardonnay is grown in Mendocino County in a coastal area; more ideal for Chardonnay (and Pinot Noir). This is not a fruity number, nor is it oaky. Whole clusters are used once again, fermentation is carried out in stainless steel, then the wine is aged for just 5 months in OLD wooden barrels. Once in barrel they elect to treat the wine in a semi-Jurassic fashion (not dinosaur Jurassic, rather as in Jura, France) by irregularly ‘toppin-up’ the barrels and allowing for some oxidative character. That’s oxidative, NOT oxidized – the former being an elective winemaking technique, the latter a wine fault. This brilliant decision adds a certain enhanced texture to the wine, as well as hints of walnut skin and walnuts. There is also plenty of minerality. This may just be the Chardonnay (other than Chablis) that ABC drinkers will enjoy. By the way…that’s Anything But Chardonnay;) Enjoy with aged cow’s milk cheeses ideally with an Alpine origin, white fish in a brown butter sauce with or without toasted pecans, or in a flannel and a wool cap with Doc Marten’s for that Mendo vibe.
Seemingly a hot button style at the moment, this crown-capped beauty falls into the category of ‘piquette’. Piquettes are made utilizing the pomace (the dense clumps of grape skins, seeds, stems and pulp that remain after juice has been pressed for wine) left over from winemaking. The word itself comes from the French word for ‘prickle’, an ode to the delicate fizz they contain. In France, piquette is said to have been the preferred drink of vineyard workers at the lunch table, as its low alcohol encouraged post-lunch productivity rather than an alcohol-fueled stupor. In Italy, piquette has various names including acqua pazza, acquarello and vinello, but the style dates all the way back to Ancient Rome.
Here, Pinot Gris (Calvinco Vineyard) and Trousseau Gris (Fannuchi Vineyard) pomace gets a little water added and it’s steeped for 2 days before being drained into steel barrels. At that point, unfermented Pinot Gris juice is added to assist fermentation (all native yeast). Organic beet sugar is added the day of bottling to start second fermentation in bottle. The resulting 7% abv wine is light and fun and reticent of strawberries and such, evoking a style similar to, but lighter in both color and body than dry Lambrusco, with ZERO added sulfur. Crush this on a hot day, mowing the lawn or at lunch with anything from a burger to a cheese plate, charcuterie board or at breakfast with Fruit Loops! Ok…that was me being silly, but theoretically that last pairing could work, without milk.
These are really impressive wines from seriously talented people with loads of passion for what they do. If you don’t believe me, you’ll have to drink the ‘Kool-Aid’ for yourself!
Santé,
Todd, aka TL