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Monte Rosso—which means red mountain in Italian—is a historic vineyard set on the steep hillsides of the Mayacamas mountain range. Home to some of the oldest California grapevines, it straddles Napa and Sonoma valleys with a red, volcanic, iron-rich soil that contributes to a distinctive terroir. The vineyard has a remarkable past, as Mount Peak operated as a notable California producer at the turn of the century with its three-story, gravity-flow winery, which was built in 1886. The winery then closed at the start of Prohibition in 1920. Over the years, the abandoned winery became a “ghost winery,” an almost forgotten relic of another winemaking era.
Today, the vines of Monte Rosso still thrive on this mountaintop site, and the revival of the Mount Peak brand captures the spirit of its innovative and storied past in a focused portfolio of three award-winning reds. The trilogy of bold reds is an ode to the historic winery but also to the prolific grapevines, as each label is inspired by a prominent block of the vineyard. Winemaker Mark Williams first began crafting wines from this site in 2006, and his intimate relationship with the vineyard resonates in the unique character of each wine.
Sentinel Cabernet Sauvignon
Sentinel is a rich, crimson Cabernet Sauvignon of stature with full tannins, named for a shield-shaped block at the entrance to the vineyard. It has intensely concentrated fruit with a nose of dark fruits such as dark cherry and blackberry, along with lavender and a touch of spice. The wine’s extended finish hints at nutty toasted oak and caramel.
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Rattlesnake Zinfandel
Rattlesnakes live in the vines on the highest point of the Monte Rosso Vineyard. It’s this site that this deep and robust Zinfandel is named for. The wine is rich and juicy, featuring ripe fruit aromas of plum, black cherry, and blueberry layered with black pepper, licorice, and cocoa dust. The finish on this classic Zinfandel is long, lasting, and spicy.
Gravity Red Blend
Gravity Red Blend is aptly named for a block on one of the lowest, steepest slopes of the vineyard. The remote, almost out of reach, site produces grapes of exceptional depth. This blend of Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache results in a medium to full-bodied red wine layered with aromas of black cherry, plum, blackberry, and hints of cocoa powder and coffee.
Explore Mount Peak’s wines on SevenFifty
