Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/131907
TECHNICAL REVIEW WINEMAKING All water used in the winery drains View video in the into an underground Wines & Vines sump, then is filtered Digital Edition. Mario Monticell to remove solids discusses picking deciand dispersed into sions and grape processseptic drain fields ing at the facility in this (also known as leach video by winery staff. fields) around the winery grounds. The mechanical room includes the compressor for air as well as the cylinders for argon. The room also contains the boilers and refrigeration from Indoor Environment Services for heating or cooling tanks with glycol as well as electrical systems. The Wine Advocate gave 93 points to the 2008 Cloud's Nest Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder, and Wine Spectator awarded 92 points to the 2008 Meritage Napa Valley, as two recent examples. The wines are priced appropriately for their high quality. But Monticelli points out that the company's lower priced wines like Sutter Home white Zinfandel and Moscato have their attractions for him. "When I sniff a glass of pink Moscato, I smell new French oak barrels," he jokes. The success of the family's other wines has let Trinchero pursue its goal of making top-quality wines as well, and by most accounts it is succeeding. 200 acres of estate vineyards Monticelli chooses grapes from 200 acres of estate vineyards in Napa Valley, from north of Calistoga to south of Napa, and in the mountains as well as the valley floor. The 11 acres around the winery are called Mario's Vineyard, not for today's winemaker but for Mario Trinchero, who moved his family to Napa Valley and bought the derelict Sutter Home Winery in 1947. The wines produced include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Meritage, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (winery only). The Sauvignon Blanc is $24, and the red wines are $40-$100. The current releases are mostly 2009. If 90-plus point reviews from respected consumer publications are any indication, the winery may have met its challenge. Mario's Vineyard, one of seven diverse properties that supply the winery, surrounds the knoll on which the winery sits. 2 BARREL STEAMING MACHINE AUTOMATED STEAMING! We have been grafting grapevines for over 120 years. ! EW N ENTAV-INRA, FPS and Custom grafting. Quality dormant benchgraft Greenvines in reusable large plastic pots 2 & 4 Barrel Washing • 2 & 4 Barrel Steaming Barrel Processing Lines • 1/2 Ton Bin Washing Systems 35 lb. Picking Lug Washers • Custom Cellar Equipment 1650 Almar Parkway, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 P. 707-573-3150 F. 707-573-3140 www.tombeard.com E. jmendoza@tombeard.com 40 W IN E S & V INE S J U NE 20 13 Rootings and cuttings for field grafting. Phone: (707) 446-9223 • Cell (707) 207-1249 sebastian.traviesa@mercier-groupe.com www.mercier-groupe.com