The legacy is impressive. Head winemaker Laura Catena is nothing short of a Kobe Bryant-force unto herself: graduating magna cum laude from Harvard and getting a medical degree from Stanford. She is also an author (new book review forthcoming) and mother of two who has a medical practice in San Francisco while still working at the vineyard. Either there’s some outsourcing of duties going down, or this woman has the strength of an armada.
This 2018 blend is aged in new and used oak barrels, and the barrel influence is immediately present. A little bit of overripe plum and vanilla help to temper the oak on the nose, and the finish is full of campfire and a faint touch of cocoa nibs. Not sure if purchasing by the case is in order but could prove an interesting experiment to witness the progression over a few years. Gripping a case to keep around for a few years.