Scribe Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mountain District 2020

Scribe Winery is the brainchild of the Vintner brothers, Adam and Andrew Mariani.  The brothers grew up on a walnut orchard in Yellow County, in the Foothills of Central Valley, where their devotion to land stewardship as beneficial contributors to an ecosystem blossomed.  Fast forward to now, and their stunning hacienda just outside the town of Sonoma is the most charming winery.  They have enticed visitors with the delicious wines and the idyllic setting, honoring the property’s long history in the pre-prohibition era of winemaking in Sonoma since 2007.  They have either practiced deliberate diversification of their portfolio by producing both Sonoma-based Pinots and Chards and Napa-based Cabs or they, like so many of all of us, didn’t want to have to choose between Napa and Sonoma and instead opted for a bit of both!  We are honored to be among the few to debut their first Sonoma-based Cabernet Sauvignon from the celebrated Monte Rosso Vineyard.  This parcel exemplifies the agricultural care and preservation of California’s long winemaking history.

Monte Rosso boasts some of the oldest vine plantings in Sonoma Valley and all of California, with Semillon and Zinfandel vines dating back to 1886.  Established by two grocery business partners in the late 1880s, Monte Rosso Vineyard sits on the southwestern slopes of the Mayacamas Range at 1,300 ft. elevation.  After 52 years of farming the vineyard and managing the on-site winery, the families chose to sell the vineyard to Louis M. Martini, who at the time was crafting wine in our beloved hometown of St. Helena.  Martini was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon at Monte Rosso in 1940, and those same vines still produce fruit today.  Martini’s family stewarded the vineyard until 2002, when they sold the brand to E. & J. Gallo Winery along with the Monte Rosso parcel.  Ten varietals make up the 250 acres of vines, including the Semillon, Zinfandel, and Cabernet from the first two proprietors.  While most of the grapes are reserved for Martini Wines, Monte Rosso’s fruit is sought-after for the distinctively high acidity and complexity of aromas across all varietals imparted by the volcanic soils and high elevation. Therefore, only a few brands are granted access to the coveted fruit each vintage.  

Scribe’s winemaker, Gustavo Sotelo (whose name may sound familiar because ACME featured his personal brand, Orixe Sotelo, in Under the Radar in 2022), worked closely with the Mariani brothers and Monte Rosso’s vineyard manager, Brenae Royal, to create this new partnership.  There is a sincere vetting process to earn the opportunity to work with Monte Rosso fruit, and the Scribe team embraced the challenge.  With their evident and documented dedication to land preservation, established relationships, and reputation in Sonoma through their winery and wines, they were a natural fit.  Brenae shouted out the Scribe winemaking team for crafting a uniquely “deceptive mountain Cab” that stood out amongst all the other iterations of Cabernet she has tasted from the property during her decade-long tenure as vineyard manager.

Monte Rosso’s trademark acidity is prominent in Scribe’s 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, with blue fruit and herbaceous aromas on the nose that practically open on the palate with brightness.  Concentrated layers of syrupy, jammy fruits weave with intense minerality supported by a core of rounded and soft tannins.  This Cabernet shines even brighter after a short decant, giving off notes of wild blueberry, Medjool dates, and thyme.  So pop the cork half an hour before dinner or go all out with the beautiful crystal decanter; this inaugural release won’t disappoint.