2023 Violet's Paradise, Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Moon Mountain District AVA, Sonoma County, California

“Violet’s Paradise is my ode to Monte Rosso, the vineyards I worked for nearly 11 years. My debut portfolio is inspired by more than my experience as the vineyard manager, but as the place that helped shape me. My wines represent the memories of working alongside people who had been farming historic Monte Rosso longer than I’ve been alive, and who taught me their techniques. My wines also honor the memory of my vineyard dog, Violet Mae, whose presence helped team members connect in challenging moments. Each Violet’s Paradise wine is a capsule of history, as my team and I stewarded the vineyard toward its next chapter of life.”

— Brenae Royal, Founder & Winemaker, Violet’s Paradise Wines

Monte Rosso was established in 1886. The oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the United States were planted there in 1940. Brenae Royal spent nearly 11 years farming those blocks — learning from workers who had been in that soil longer than she had been alive, stewarding one of California’s most historically significant vineyard sites through its next chapter of life. When she launched Violet’s Paradise Wines, the Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon was always going to be the crown of the portfolio. At $135, with a best-drinking window of 2030 to 2045, it is the fullest expression of everything she has earned the right to make: a commanding, refined, age-worthy mountain Cabernet from the site she knows more intimately than almost anyone alive.

The 2023 vintage challenged and rewarded in equal measure. A cold and wet winter delayed bud break and bloom; heavy spring rains demanded careful canopy management and disease vigilance. Patience was essential as the season progressed slower than average — but by late summer, the payoff was clear: extended hang time, moderate sugar accumulation, and exceptional phenolic maturity without the heat stress that compromises lesser vintages. Monte Rosso’s position above the fog line provided consistent light exposure and cooling afternoon breezes, preserving acidity while allowing slow, even ripening across the old-vine, high-elevation Cabernet Sauvignon blocks. The result is a wine of extraordinary power and finesse — dense in fruit, grounded in minerality, lifted by vibrant natural acidity, and built to develop in bottle for the next two decades. Lavish aromas of dark chocolate-covered cherry, violets, licorice, and cracked black pepper. Rich raspberry, spiced plum, and floral mélange on the palate. Powder-fine tannin. A persistent finish. Yummy now — and remarkable from 2030 onward.

Critical Acclaim

• “Lavish aromas of dark chocolate covered cherry, violets, licorice, and cracked black pepper swirl on the nose of this high-elevation Cabernet. The palate delivers flavors of rich raspberry, spiced plum, and floral mélange, with powder fine tannin and a persistent finish. Yummy now, this will benefit from some time in the cellar. Best from 2030–2045.” — Tom R. Capo, Wine Enthusiast

Wine Details & Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes: Lavish aromas of dark chocolate-covered cherry, violets, licorice, and cracked black pepper. Rich raspberry, spiced plum, and floral mélange on the palate with powder-fine tannin and a long, persistent finish. Commanding yet refined — dense, mineral, and lifted by vibrant natural acidity. Best from 2030–2045.

• Origin – Monte Rosso Vineyard (old-vine, high-elevation blocks), Moon Mountain District AVA, Sonoma County, California (690–1,300 ft elevation; volcanic red hill loam soils; established 1886; oldest Cabernet Sauvignon in the US planted 1940)
• Producer – Violet’s Paradise Wines; Black woman-owned; founded by Brenae Royal — Black woman winemaker, farmer, and community builder; nearly 11 years as Monte Rosso vineyard manager; people-first mission; Violet’s Paradise Agriculture Scholarship; certified organic
• Varietal – Cabernet Sauvignon (100%)
• Winemaking – Hand-sorted; stemless fermentation in neutral barrels with native yeast; 7–14 days maceration; 26 months in neutral oak
• Drinking Window – Approachable now; best from 2030–2045
• Style – Dry red wine (high-altitude; old-vine; single-vineyard; certified organic; prestige; collector-grade; age-worthy)
• ABV – 15.0%

2023 Vintage Notes

The 2023 growing season at Monte Rosso opened with a notably cold and wet winter that delayed bud break and bloom — requiring careful canopy management and disease vigilance through heavy spring rains. The season progressed slower than average, demanding patience from the entire farming team. The reward came in late summer: extended hang time, moderate and controlled sugar accumulation, and exceptional phenolic maturity achieved without any of the heat stress that can strip a mountain Cabernet of its structure and freshness. Monte Rosso’s elevation above the fog line ensured consistent light exposure and cooling afternoon breezes throughout the ripening window — preserving the natural acidity and mineral tension that make old-vine, high-altitude Cabernet Sauvignon from this site one of California’s most compelling and age-worthy wine propositions. The 2023 is a vintage that challenged every decision Brenae Royal and her team made — and rewarded every one of them.

Food Pairing

The dark chocolate cherry, violets, licorice, black pepper, rich raspberry, spiced plum, powder-fine tannins, and profound mineral structure of this Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon demand the most thoughtfully prepared and elegantly executed dishes in your repertoire. Pairs magnificently with dry-aged bone-in ribeye, braised short ribs, and roasted rack of lamb with herbs de Provence — the mountain tannins and vibrant acidity cut through richness and mirror the savory depth of aged, well-prepared beef and lamb. The floral aromatics and dark fruit complexity make it a remarkable companion for truffle-forward preparations, venison, and anything with deep, earthy, umami-driven character. Also exceptional alongside aged hard cheeses — Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged Manchego, Comté — and a serious cheese and charcuterie board built for a collector-grade wine conversation. Decant 60 minutes. Serve at 64–68°F. Cellaring potential: 15–20+ years.

Occasion

This is the flagship. The bottle for the most significant milestones, the most meaningful gifts, and the most serious collectors in The Wine Concierge community. A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Monte Rosso’s oldest and highest-elevation blocks — certified organic, old-vine, 26 months in neutral oak, best from 2030 to 2045 — made by a Black woman who spent 11 years farming the site before she ever put her name on a bottle. Brenae Royal built Violet’s Paradise to create paid work opportunities, fund the next generation through the Agriculture Scholarship, and prove that the most important wines in California can be made by someone who was never supposed to be in the room. This bottle is the proof.

About Violet’s Paradise Wines & Monte Rosso Vineyard

Violet’s Paradise Wines is the prestige debut from Brenae Royal — a people-first wine company using land access, innovative beverage production, and intentional mentorship to redefine the wine industry through farming, winemaking, retail, and hospitality. Violet’s Paradise creates paid work opportunities from production to point of sale and reinvests in the next generation through the Violet’s Paradise Agriculture Scholarship. The name honors Violet Mae, Brenae’s vineyard dog, whose presence helped her team connect through the challenging moments of farming one of California’s most demanding and historic sites.

Monte Rosso Vineyard was established in 1886 by Emmanuel Goldstein, originally planted to Zinfandel (4th oldest in the world), Semillon (2nd oldest in the world), Muscat, and Burger. Farmed through Prohibition and sold to Louis M. Martini in 1938, Monte Rosso became home to the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the United States in 1940. The vineyard sits on the southwestern face of the Mayacamas Mountains between 690 and 1,300 feet elevation in the Moon Mountain District AVA above Sonoma Valley — volcanic red hill loam soils, above the fog line, shaped by nearly 140 years of continuous viticulture and home to the most historically significant Cabernet Sauvignon blocks in California.

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