Monte Rosso Estate Semillon 2023 (750ML)

94 Points, Jim Gordon, JamesSuckling.com: "A brilliant, racy white that offers great breadth as well as nervy acidity and a mineral-scented expression. Notes of lanolin, honeydew melon and lots of crisp citrus flavors. Made from 150-year-old vines with no malolactic fermentation. From organically grown grapes. Drink now or hold." 05/26

94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Antonio Galloni: "The 2023 Sémillon emerges from vines planted in 1886 that are believed to be the oldest Sémillon in the United States. Dried lemon peel, mint, white flowers, chalk and dried herbs open effortlessly in the glass. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2023 was fermented in a combination of cement and French oak, with blocked malolactic fermentation. Elevage was nine months in 70% French oak barrels of various sizes and 30% cask." 02/25

95 Points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter: "The Sémillon was planted in 1886, drawn from a 3.8-acre parcel divided into three sub-blocks. The grapes are picked on the earlier side and fermented entirely in barriques with native yeasts, then stirred on the lees towards the tail end of élevage, ageing for nine months prior to bottling. The style is resolutely old-school and very much aligned with Bernardino Sani’s philosophy at Argiano: earlier picking to emphasise freshness and savoury nuance, and to produce wines that age gracefully. One barrel is aged in new Stockinger oak, lending a gorgeous honeycomb character alongside white florals, crushed almond, and a beeswax-inflected finish. On the palate, the wine is absolutely riveting, driven by saline acidity, lemon-lime zest, white floral lift, and loads of bright, crisp, crunchy acidity, all carrying through to a long, mineral-laced, savoury-spiced finish. A truly gorgeous wine. This new Monte Rosso brand, debuting with the 2023 vintage, is produced by Bernardino Sani, CEO and winemaker of the historic Argiano estate in Montalcino, Italy. Sani had long been eager to undertake a project in the United States. Diego Del Pino, the estate director, was brought in to build out luxury sales with Gallo and brings a strong background in high-end luxury products. Through Gallo’s import portfolio, Del Pino came to know Sani, and when given the opportunity to develop something distinctive and new within the Gallo universe, he chose to focus on Monte Rosso. The vineyard was originally developed by the Goldstein family before being purchased by the Martini family in 1938, who renamed it Monte Rosso. This 2023 release marks the first vintage of Monte Rosso wines produced as a standalone brand from this iconic site, with total production currently around 800 cases. Perched high above Sonoma Valley, Monte Rosso Vineyard is defined by iron-rich red volcanic soils and fractured rhyolite at elevation, delivering some of California’s most powerful yet distinctly mineral-driven mountain fruit." 12/25