Gallo Family Vineyards Sonoma County Merlot California

Winemaking has been a tradition in the Gallo family for almost 70 years and in developing the Ernest & Julio Gallo Sonoma wines, the winemakers have made a careful journey from vine to wine. The journey begins in Sonoma County where cool ocean breezes, lingering coastal fog and the warm sun nurture the ripening grapes. It ends with patient barrel-by-barrel tasting during fermentation and ageing to ensure that the potential tasted on the vine is captured in the bottle. Merlot is easy to like but difficult to make, because it is a wine that requires perfect balance of flavour, texture and complexity. Over the years Sonoma County Merlot has steadily gained a reputation, a direct result of the quality of its fruit. Merlot grapes thrive in an environment that, during the growing season, features an ideal combination of warm daytime temperatures and cooler conditions at night, usually with fog intrusion from the coast. Such conditions allow the grapes to mature slowly on the vines, building concentrated flavour and character in the process. When vineyards produce grapes bursting with intense varietal taste, it gives the winemakers a more varied palate to work with in the cellar and prior to fermentation, the harvest was de-stemmed but not crushed. When fewer grape skins are broken and mashed, the extraction of excessive tannin can be controlled more easily. Winemakers also employed a variety of fermentation techniques, splitting the task between upright and rotary tanks. Different methods emphasise different character traits in the wine. Finally, American and French oak ageing barrels were chosen to impart a soft, vanilla layer of complexity during the eight months this wine was aged. This vintage wins favour first with its inviting aromas of red cherry, berry and currant, laced with spicy hints of cedar. A taste reveals a palate rich in flavours of wild berry and soft notes of vanilla oak, the reward for nearly eight months of patient ageing in barrels with a medium to heavy toast. Well balanced and graceful this wine culminates in a long finish. (6 x 75 cl)

Our Chardonnay is an elegant, well-balanced wine, crafted with some of the finest grapes in Sonoma County. This wine has bright aromas of apple, pear, pineapple, and ripe flavors of peach and mango. The rich mouthfeel is enhanced by a subtle layer of sweet vanilla. With a crisp, clean finish, our Gallo of Sonoma Chardonnay is a delicious complement to almost any meal including grilled chicken, fresh salmon, or lighter pasta dishes. To ensure that the grapes are gently squeezed and allow the natural fruit character to shine through, a gravity fed, whole cluster press is used for 100% of our Chardonnay to eliminate the bitterness that typically results from crusher-destemmers. The juice was primarily barrel fermented, and temperature was monitored not to exceed 68º F to produce a slower, cooler fermentation that enhanced complexities of body, flavor, and aroma. The wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation, lending it a buttery flavor that complements its crisp, clean finish. (6 x 75 cl)

After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Ernest & Julio Gallo started their winery in California. Unable to obtain bank loans, they rented a warehouse and bought equipment on credit. More than sixty years later, the Gallo family still controls one of the world's most successful wine companies. The Gallo philosophy of continual improvement saw Julio Gallo travelling throughout California seeking high quality grapes and vineyards; he came to the conclusion that Sonoma County has the finest growing area in California. Its complex geography provides an endless variety of growing conditions, and eleven viticultural appellations have been established in Sonoma (6 x 75 cl)

Winemaking has been a tradition in the Gallo family for almost 70 years and in developing the Ernest & Julio Gallo Sonoma wines, the winemakers have made a careful journey from vine to wine. The journey begins in Sonoma County where cool ocean breezes, lingering coastal fog and the warm sun nurture the ripening grapes. It ends with patient barrel-by-barrel tasting during fermentation and ageing to ensure that the potential tasted on the vine is captured in the bottle. Great wine is made in the vineyard and much of Sonoma's success is rooted in a consistent pattern of warm days and cool nights during the summer months. Such climate makes for a long growing season with plenty of hang-time for the grapes, producing full-bodied vintages as well as being rich in concentrated flavours of ripe plum, dark berry and spice. Upon their arrival at the winery, the grapes were de-stemmed but not crushed, resulting in 20-30% whole berries. Next, they were cold soaked with the skins for 24 hours, a technique that helps stabilize and capture delicate flavour nuances. Primary fermentation was accomplished in mostly upright, stainless steel tanks and lasted no more than 5 days at temperatures ranging from 88-92 F. The wine was then barrel aged for an average of 5 months in new and seasoned oak to enhance complexity and smoothness. Very much a Sonoma Zinfandel, displaying all of the characteristic power and grace for which the county has become famous. Exciting aromas of dark plum and cherry richly foreshadow an even deeper palate of berry pie, black fruit jam and spice. Barrel ageing has not only given this vintage well-balanced structure; it has added warm notes of coconut and vanilla to the finish. (6 x 75 cl)

Gallo Family Vineyards Sonoma County Pinot Noir California from USA, California, Sonoma County by E & J Gallo (6 x 75 cl)

After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Ernest & Julio Gallo started their winery in California. Unable to obtain bank loans, they rented a warehouse and bought equipment on credit. More than sixty years later, the Gallo family still controls one of the world's most successful wine companies. The Gallo philosophy of continual improvement saw Julio Gallo travelling throughout California seeking high quality grapes and vineyards; he came to the conclusion that Sonoma County has the finest growing area in California. Its complex geography provides an endless variety of growing conditions, and eleven viticultural appellations have been established in Sonoma (6 x 75 cl)

Winemaking has been a tradition in the Gallo family for almost 70 years and in developing the Ernest & Julio Gallo Sonoma wines, the winemakers have made a careful journey from vine to wine. The journey begins in Sonoma County where cool ocean breezes, lingering coastal fog and the warm sun nurture the ripening grapes. It ends with patient barrel-by-barrel tasting during fermentation and ageing to ensure that the potential tasted on the vine is captured in the bottle. More than other varietals, perhaps, Pinot Noir is a winemaker's wine, especially in the opportunities it provides for finessing delicate nuances of flavour or character. California's Sonoma County makes this challenge even more appealing by the excellent quality of its Pinot Noir grapes. Vineyards near the coast offer virtually ideal weather conditions with warm daytime temperatures during the growing season, followed by heavy fog intrusion at night and dramatically cooler conditions. Such a climate cycle slows down the ripening process, enabling Pinot Noir to develop crisp acids, good colour and great depth of flavour on the vine. Once in the winery the grapes were de-stemmed to limit the extraction of bitter tannin and delivered to the fermenting tanks uncrushed, since broken and macerated skins can be another source of excess tannin in the finished wine. Fermentation with 20-30% whole berries results in Pinot Noir rounder in body and fresher in flavour. The wine was 100% barrel aged for 6 months, during which time it gained greater complexity by completing a secondary cycle of malolactic fermentation. This care has produced a distinct fruit-forward character with intense flavours of dark red fruit-cherry and ripe raspberry. This Pinot Noir is framed by fresh earthy notes and a velvety finish showing a subtle layer of sweet vanilla oak. (6 x 75 cl)

Complex, elegant and rich, this Chardonnay displays a skillful balance between power and finesse. The wine exhibits a nose of pears, apples and mango with a touch of clove and spice on the finish. We recommend enjoying this wine with foods such as grilled salmon in lemon and butter, served with foie gras and Roquefort cheese. Serve slightly chilled . VINEYARDS The grapes came from one of our family vineyards, Laguna Ranch, located in Sonoma County. Sonoma County is situated 100 km north of San Francisco, west of Napa, and alongside the Pacific Ocean. In the centre region of Sonoma County lies Russian River Valley, where Laguna Ranch Vineyard rests in the benchlands. Originally planted in the late 1800s, the vineyard is located in climatic Region I . Soils are a combination of gravelly and sandy loam, referred to as Sebastopol series. The fog coming from the Pacific Ocean lingers in this area throughout the day, making it one of the coolest regions of Sonoma County. Chardonnay grapes grown in this region develop the right balance between crisp acidity and concentrated citrus, apple and pear flavours and aromas. HARVEST With a heritage of three generations in Sonoma, our family firmly believes that ''great wines start with great grapes.'' To intensify the true varietal character of the grapes, shoots were thinned from the vines and leaves were removed by hand during the growing season. From September 3 to 5, 100% of the grapes were hand harvested while the sugar levels were at an average of 23.4 Brix. WINEMAKING Grapes for our wine were sent in whole clusters to a membrane press, bypassing the crusher to reduce the potential for bitter tannin extraction. In addition, this wine contains press juice that was collected for cool fermentation and aged for an average of 18.9 months in European barrels . A portion of the wine was allowed to ferment solely on indigenous yeasts , giving additional complexity to its bouquet, flavour and body. The wine completed malolactic fermentation and sur lie aging to impart a silky, elegant texture. The unfined, unfiltered wine was bottled in May of at our Sonoma Winery. (6 x 75 cl)

Rancho Zabaco is a name virtually synonymous with Zinfandel, but not just any Zinfandel. Our grapes are hand-selected from some of the finest vineyards in Sonoma County. Which means that Rancho Zabaco Zinfandels are exuberantly robust and full of spice. The kind of taste that makes Zin lovers smile, politely, and say 'Wow!' (12 x 75 cl)