Jesse Katz strolling in his Farrow Ranch winery
Aperture Cellars
For many years, Napa Valley has been synonymous with pedigreed Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends, however the highlight is starting to shift westward—towards Sonoma. Sonoma is rightly celebrated for its beautiful Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines however now its Bordeaux varietals are incomes a seat on the desk—and wine lovers ought to take notice. A rising variety of producers are incomes vital acclaim, together with uncommon 100-point scores that have been as soon as virtually completely the area of Napa’s elite, and one of many key figures driving this evolution is winemaker Jesse Katz of Aperture Cellars. Kyle Connaughton, chef and proprietor of Sonoma’s three-Michelin-starred SingleThread restaurant, credit Katz with serving to to lift the area’s profile: “In such a short while, Jesse has raised the bar so extremely excessive in our area. His wines stand on the prime of their class in comparison with nice Previous World counterparts, whereas concurrently being progressive, provocative, and approachable. He’s ushering in a brand new period of what’s potential in California winemaking, and as a chef, I’m all the time extremely excited and impressed to cook dinner for his wines.”
Katz just isn’t alone. Wineries like Vérité, which has obtained excellent scores for purple blends that blur the road between Sonoma and Bordeaux, in addition to Skipstone, Stonestreet, and Peter Michael have contributed to Sonoma’s rising stature within the wine world. The numbers don’t lie; in keeping with Wine-Searcher, the variety of Sonoma County wines receiving 95 factors or larger from prime critics has greater than doubled over the previous decade.
Tasting room at Aperture Cellars in Sonoma
Aperture Cellars
Katz, whose résumé contains tenure on the revered Napa property Screaming Eagle, brings obsessive precision and artistry to his winemaking and viticulture and the outcomes mirror his focus. Certainly, Katz is the primary and solely winemaker to ever earn a 100 level rating for wine made in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley—from six completely different critics no much less. And, he’s earned extra excellent scores than any Sonoma winemaker up to now.
Whereas critics’ scores aren’t the only measure of high quality, they’re an vital barometer of excellence. And on this case, they sign a notable shift: Sonoma is now not simply Napa’s nation cousin. It’s rising as a vacation spot for world-class wines and deserving of equal—if not higher—consideration from collectors and connoisseurs alike.
Why Sonoma?
After a lot success in Napa, it’s price asking why Katz ventured into Sonoma. For him, the choice was a no brainer: higher alternative and variety. “There may be a lot potential in Sonoma,” explains Katz, “discovering the following nice website continues to be very a lot a risk. The very best websites in Napa have already been found. And for somebody like me who wasn’t born into this business or into wealth the barrier to entry in Napa was virtually unachievable. It was onerous sufficient even in Sonoma.”
Rolling hills of Aperture’s Farrow Ranch in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley
Aperture Cellars
This sprawling county (Sonoma is 1,575 sq. miles in comparison with Napa’s 789 sq. miles) runs from the Pacific to the Mayacamas Mountains and is residence to each sort of microclimate conceivable. It has extra soil range than all the nation of France and consists of a constellation of quirky small cities populated by a mixture of hippies and farmers. Only some a long time in the past, Sonoma’s now buzzy Healdsburg Sq. was a Hell’s Angels biker hotspot (a few of whom used the sq.’s fountain to wash). Right this moment, the bikers are gone, changed by Michelin-starred eating places, five-star motels, and boutique retailers. In step with this evolution, the winemaking has change into extra targeted; take into account that Alexander Valley is about to debut its first-ever sub ava, Pocket Peak, which can signify among the area’s most beautiful winery choices. Not surprisingly, Katz’s most prized winery, Farrow Ranch, sits proper within the coronary heart of it.
“It’s a magical, unicorn of a website,” explains Katz, “Top-of-the-line I’ve labored with in my profession.” It was at Farrow Ranch that Katz found an intriguing block of previous vine Malbec, (the supply of his now-famous Satan Proof bottling, which obtained the first-ever 100-point rating for a Malbec in US historical past). That success impressed Katz much more. “For the final decade of my life, I’ve been targeted on soils and figuring out distinctive pockets the place I can unlock their potential. One in all Aperture’s nice successes has been our means to search out websites others have missed and redesign, replant and farm them in a very new means.”
Farrow Ranch is a bowl-shaped paradise the place Katz cultivates Bordeaux varietals on a spread of various soil sorts, at completely different elevations and oriented in all instructions. This wonderful tapestry of winery selection provides Katz and his group exceptional flexibility on the mixing desk, enabling them to craft deeply advanced wines. “It’s a website that hasn’t even hit its stride but,” he says. “We’ve planted 17 new acres and have one other section deliberate for 2026.”
Sonoma’s rise isn’t about one winemaker making 100-point wines; it’s extra of a group effort with everybody sharing in one another’s experience throughout all features of winemaking and hospitality. On any given day one may spot a neighborhood chef wandering Aperture’s vineyards on a foraging mission. Not way back, Katz shared a few of his decommissioned wine with native chef Dustin Valette (proprietor of The Matheson) who then used it to craft a wine-infused mustard. And, Christopher Jackson, proprietor of Jackson Household Wines, is working with Katz on a particular winemaking venture referred to as Prophet and Poet; the 2021 releases simply made their debut.
Aperture is called as homage to Katz’s father, acclaimed photographer Andy Katz—and it couldn’t be extra becoming. In pictures, “aperture” refers back to the management of sunshine and focus, and that’s precisely what Katz is bringing to Sonoma: a pointy focus and a highlight on the area’s viticultural brilliance. If you need in on the bottom flooring, you’d higher make your option to Sonoma quickly.
What to Attempt:
Aperture Collage: Katz’s latest and most groundbreaking wine, these two bottlings function one of the best of one of the best hand-selected fruit from throughout a portfolio of 200 acres. 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon ($425) and a 2022 Sauvignon Blanc ($125).
Aperture Website Collection is a set of single-vineyard wines, every sourced from one meticulously chosen winery website in Sonoma County
2022 Aperture Oliver Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon | $150
2022 Aperture Del Rio Winery Cabernet Sauvignon | $150
2022 Aperture SJ Ranch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon | $150
2022 Aperture Proterra | $175
