Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even better is the incredible 2014 Proprietary Red Blend Gravity, which is an intriguing blend of 33% Petite Sirah, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Zinfandel and the rest Syrah, Grenache and Barbera aged in 28% new French oak. Virtually all of it comes from the Monte Rosso Vineyard with tiny quantities from Frei Ranch and Snows Lake vineyards owned by Gallo. Another exuberant whopper at 15.9% alcohol, the wine is an opaque purple color, with notes of pen ink, creosote, black truffle, blackberry, blueberry, and a hint of white chocolate in a full-bodied, massive, layered, rich and concentrated style. Interesting enough, the alcohol at 15.9% is balanced by the wine’s rather zesty acidity and modest pH of 3.46. This is a killer wine at a great price for something this profound. 5,000 cases were produced.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
An elegant blend of five grape varieties—Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Grenache, and Barbera—the 2014 Mount Peak Gravity exhibits excellent richness and loads of ripe berries with a light shading of earthiness. Pair it with savory beef stew. (Tasted: September 12, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
California is a winemaking colossus; by itself it is the fourth largest producer in the world. Red wine accounts for 56% of the total by volume, and red grapes 63% of total acres planted. In addition, a number of California red wines are heralded as being among the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world.
While the state’s incredibly diverse geography, soils and microclimates allow for a wide array of styles, the key factor unifying California red wine is the abundance of sunshine and a long, consistent growing season. This leads to well-developed fruit marked both by impressive ripeness and balancing acidity.
The state’s most famous red wine region, of course, is Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon reigns as king. But California boasts a wealth of other impressive appellations. The much larger and climatically varied Sonoma County also produces world class California Cabernet, along with wonderful examples of California Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
Fine versions of Cabernet and Zinfandel hail from Paso Robles as well, which is also gaining fame with Rhone varietals like Syrah and Grenache. As for Pinot Noir, terrific examples can be found from AVA’s such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills. Wineries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties are making wonderful Syrahs, and the Sierra Foothill appellations are proving to be an experimental hotbed, with Italian and Spanish varietals employed to great effect.
This of course is a mere sketch. The subject of California red wine is as deep and broad as an ocean, and absolutely a joy to explore!