Monte Rio Cellars Skull Red Wine

THE WINE
50% Petite Sirah, 30% Mission, 20% Zinfandel. Vineyards: Bains, Somers, Shergill - all organically farmed.
Winemaking: 100% whole cluster Carbonic Maceration for 6-10 days in stainless steel. Pressed into a mix of concrete and stainless steel for 8-12 days. No sulfur used in the winemaking. Aged 10 months in old wood barrels. 675 cases produced.

THE WINERY
Monte Rio Cellars is a collaboration between longtime friends Patrick Cappiello and Pax Mahle.
Following a successful career as a sommelier and restaurant owner in New York City, Patrick set his sights on the West Coast to make wine. He launched Monte Rio Cellars with the help of his buddy and highly-respected winemaker, Pax.

Patrick and Pax's philosophy is to make hand-crafted wines in the spirit of old California. With this idea in mind, they work with family-owned, organically farmed vineyards and keep the winemaking simple. Spontaneous fermentations take place with whole cluster grapes in stainless steel and concrete, and aging takes place in neutral oak barrels. The goal is to make moderate alcohol, higher acid, fresh wines, naturally.