Latest news with #JesseKatz
Forbes
7 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Meet The Winemaker Changing The Face Of Sonoma Wine
Jesse Katz walking in his Farrow Ranch vineyard For decades, Napa Valley has been synonymous with pedigreed Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends, but the spotlight is beginning to shift westward—toward Sonoma. Sonoma is rightly celebrated for its exquisite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines but now its Bordeaux varietals are earning a seat at the table—and wine lovers should take note. A growing number of producers are earning critical acclaim, including rare 100-point scores that were once almost exclusively the domain of Napa's elite, and one of the key figures driving this evolution is winemaker Jesse Katz of Aperture Cellars. Kyle Connaughton, chef and owner of Sonoma's three-Michelin-starred SingleThread restaurant, credits Katz with helping to raise the region's profile: 'In such a short time, Jesse has raised the bar so incredibly high in our region. His wines stand at the top of their class compared to great Old World counterparts, while simultaneously being innovative, provocative, and approachable. He is ushering in a new era of what's possible in California winemaking, and as a chef, I'm always incredibly excited and inspired to cook for his wines.' Katz is not alone. Wineries like Vérité, which has received perfect scores for red blends that blur the line between Sonoma and Bordeaux, as well as Skipstone, Stonestreet, and Peter Michael have contributed to Sonoma's increasing stature in the wine world. The numbers don't lie; according to Wine-Searcher, the number of Sonoma County wines receiving 95 points or higher from top critics has more than doubled over the past decade. Tasting room at Aperture Cellars in Sonoma Katz, whose résumé includes tenure at the revered Napa estate Screaming Eagle, brings obsessive precision and artistry to his winemaking and viticulture and the results reflect his focus. Indeed, Katz is the first and only winemaker to ever earn a 100 point score for wine made in Sonoma's Alexander Valley—from six different critics no less. And, he's earned more perfect scores than any Sonoma winemaker to date. While critics' scores aren't the sole measure of quality, they are an important barometer of excellence. And in this case, they signal a notable shift: Sonoma is no longer just Napa's country cousin. It is emerging as a destination for world-class wines and deserving of equal—if not greater—attention from collectors and connoisseurs alike. After so much success in Napa, it's worth asking why Katz ventured into Sonoma. For him, the decision was a no-brainer: greater opportunity and diversity. 'There is so much potential in Sonoma,' explains Katz, 'finding the next great site is still very much a possibility. The best sites in Napa have already been discovered. And for someone like me who wasn't born into this industry or into wealth the barrier to entry in Napa was almost unachievable. It was hard enough even in Sonoma.' Rolling hills of Aperture's Farrow Ranch in Sonoma's Alexander Valley This sprawling county (Sonoma is 1,575 square miles compared to Napa's 789 square miles) runs from the Pacific to the Mayacamas Mountains and is home to every kind of microclimate imaginable. It has more soil diversity than the entire nation of France and is composed of a constellation of quirky small towns populated by a mix of hippies and farmers. Only a few decades ago, Sonoma's now buzzy Healdsburg Square was a Hell's Angels biker hotspot (some of whom used the square's fountain to bathe). Today, the bikers are gone, replaced by Michelin-starred restaurants, five-star hotels, and boutique shops. In keeping with this evolution, the winemaking has become more focused; consider that Alexander Valley is about to debut its first-ever sub ava, Pocket Peak, which will represent some of the region's most exquisite vineyard offerings. Not surprisingly, Katz's most prized vineyard, Farrow Ranch, sits right in the heart of it. 'It's a magical, unicorn of a site,' explains Katz, 'One of the best I've worked with in my career.' It was at Farrow Ranch that Katz discovered an intriguing block of old vine Malbec, (the source of his now-famous Devil Proof bottling, which received the first-ever 100-point score for a Malbec in US history). That success inspired Katz even more. 'For the last decade of my life, I've been focused on soils and identifying unique pockets where I can unlock their potential. One of Aperture's great successes has been our ability to find sites others have overlooked and redesign, replant and farm them in a completely new way.' Farrow Ranch is a bowl-shaped paradise where Katz cultivates Bordeaux varietals on a range of different soil types, at different elevations and oriented in all directions. This amazing tapestry of vineyard variety gives Katz and his team remarkable flexibility at the blending table, enabling them to craft deeply complex wines. 'It's a site that hasn't even hit its stride yet,' he says. 'We've planted 17 new acres and have another phase planned for 2026.' Sonoma's rise isn't about one winemaker making 100-point wines; it's more of a team effort with everyone sharing in each other's expertise across all aspects of winemaking and hospitality. On any given day one might spot a local chef wandering Aperture's vineyards on a foraging mission. Not long ago, Katz shared some of his decommissioned wine with local chef Dustin Valette (owner of The Matheson) who then used it to craft a wine-infused mustard. And, Christopher Jackson, proprietor of Jackson Family Wines, is working with Katz on a special winemaking project called Prophet and Poet; the 2021 releases just made their debut. Katz owns Aperture in partnership with his father, acclaimed photographer Andy Katz—and the winery name couldn't be more fitting. In photography, 'aperture' refers to the control of light and focus, and that's exactly what Katz is bringing to Sonoma: a sharp focus and a spotlight on the region's viticultural brilliance. If you want in on the ground floor, you'd better make your way to Sonoma soon. Aperture Collage: Katz's newest and most groundbreaking wine, these two bottlings feature the best of the best hand-selected fruit from across a portfolio of 200 acres. 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon ($425) and a 2022 Sauvignon Blanc ($125). Aperture Site Series is a collection of single-vineyard wines, each sourced from one meticulously chosen vineyard site in Sonoma County 2022 Aperture Oliver Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon | $150 2022 Aperture Del Rio Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon | $150 2022 Aperture SJ Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon | $150 2022 Aperture Proterra | $175
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Record-Breaking Wine, ‘The Setting' Releases 2015 Alexander Valley Cabernet To Celebrate 10th Year
Founders of 'The Setting' Wines: Jeff Cova, Jesse Katz and Noah McMahon The Setting When a 750ml bottle of wine called 'The Setting' broke a world record for being the most expensive wine ever sold at a charity auction in 2017, at $350,000, the wine world was jolted into recognition of this unknown wine from the Alexander Valley AVA of Sonoma County, California. However, today, 'The Setting' is well known to collectors, and this month, winemaker Jessie Katz (bearer of more than twenty 100-point scoring wines) and his partners, Jeff Cova and Noah McMahon, released a limited amount of this very wine to the public. It is the 2015 The Setting Alexander Valley Cabernet, and a small number of cases were held back in the wine library after the auction to save for their 10th anniversary. '2015 was the first year we made this cabernet sauvignon wine, and it came from a very special site at the top of Chalk Hill Road next to Verite Winery,' reported Jesse Katz, Head Winemaker for The Setting, in a Zoom interview. 'It was a drought year and so the grapes were small, stressed and concentrated. My job was to tame the beast.' Jesse was successful because the resulting wine 'tied for the highest Wine Spectator rating since 1982,' he stated. The 2017 auction where the 2015 The Setting Alexander Valley Cabernet broke the world record was Emeril Lagasse's annual charity auction, Carnivale du Vin, held in New Orleans. Jesse had gifted a bottle to Hollywood agent, Shep Gordon, who donated it to the auction where it was bid on by a private collector. The proceeds created opportunities for young people working in culinary, nutrition and arts education. After the auction, Jesse and his partners held back some of the cases to save for their 10th anniversary. Now that the year 2025 has arrived, the wine is being released to the public on a 'first-come, first-served' basis until they run out. The current price is $165 per bottle – quite a good deal for a bottle of wine that sold for $350,000 at auction. 2015 The Setting Alexander Valley Cabernet, 10th Anniversary Vintage Wine Bottle The Setting Just one year after Jesse Katz broke the world record for creating the highest-priced wine ever sold at auction for $350,000, the record was broken again when a 1945 Romanée-Conti from Burgundy, France sold for $545,000 at a Sotheby's auction in 2018. To date, this wine stands as the most expensive 750ml bottle of wine ever sold. However, in 2021, Jesse broke another world record when a 6-liter bottle (equivalent to 8 regular bottles of wine) of the 2019 The Setting Glass Slipper Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley sold for $1 million at that year's Emeril Lagasse Foundation event. 'It is such an honor to have set the world record for the most expensive single bottle of wine ever sold and raise $1 million for a cause that is so close to my heart,' Jesse said, in a written statement after the auction. Emeril Lagasse at One of His Charity Auctions for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Emeril Lagasse Foundation Given that 'The Setting' is only 10-years old and has managed to break two world records – competing with the great wines of France, such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti that was established in 1869 - many people are curious about the team behind the wine brand. The answer is Jesse's two partners, Jeff Cova and Noah McMahon, who came up with the concept for the wine. 'Noah and I met in 2001, and started a nonprofit to support charity auctions with wine donations,' explained Jeff Cova during the Zoom interview. 'We enjoy supporting wineries by encouraging them to donate wine to important causes to help them promote brand recognition.' One of those causes was the Pigs and Pinot Benefit started by Charlie Palmer and Daryl Groom in Healdsburg each March. The purpose is to support educational programs for culinary, wine accreditation, music and the arts. 'We saw that Jesse won most of the winemaking awards for the entire event, and so we reached out to him to create 'The Setting' wines, and over the years we have become great friends,' stated Noah McMahon, former marketing executive with the Walt Disney Company and Zero Gravity Corp. The trio named the wine brand, 'The Setting,' because 'when people talk about wine and their experiences, they often remember the setting of where they were and who they were with. So we want to celebrate the setting as well as the wine,' explained Noah. The wine is crafted in Jesse Katz's state-of-the-art winemaking facility at Aperture Winery in the Russian River, and supported by his winemaking and marketing team. The grapes are sourced from high-quality vineyards in different locations. For example, 'The Setting' produces cabernet sauvignon from both Sonoma and Napa, but also makes pinot noir and chardonnay from Oregon, and sauvignon blanc from Dry Creek Valley. Each year a portion of 'The Setting' wines are donated to charities to raise money for special causes. The remainder of the wines are sold direct-to-consumer (DTC) through The Setting Society, an online wine membership portal. 'In addition, we donate a percentage of DTC sales proceeds to fundraising events across the nation,' stated Katie Garaventa, VP of DTC Sales & Marketing for The Setting, in an email interview. The winery also develops collaborations with philanthropic organizations to create custom wine labels for charity events. 'Typically, they will purchase a barrel of wine from us (25 cases) and we then go through the process of creating a custom label for them with their logo that they then can auction off,' explained Katie. To date, they have created collaborations with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Navy Seal Foundation, Ellen DeGeneres, Tony Hawk and Shep Gordon.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Aperture Winery Unveils 'Collage,' A New Chapter In Sonoma Winemaking
Aperture Cellars Collage Aperture Cellars has never shied away from blending art and wine—but with Collage, its most ambitious release to date, the Sonoma winery founded by Jesse Katz is taking that philosophy to soaring new heights. Officially launched on May 3 with a vibrant celebration at the Aperture Estate, Collage is more than just a pair of wines. It's a statement—on craftsmanship, on terroir, and on the cultural power of creative expression. 'This is the next chapter,' says Katz. 'We've looked at over 300 different lots to create these two unique, proprietary wines. There are no boundaries to this project—only the goal of making the best wine possible from a single vintage.' Aperture Cellars Collage The new Collage collection includes two inaugural wines: the 2022 Proprietary White Wine ($375/3-pack) and the 2021 Proprietary Red Wine ($1,275/3-pack), both available beginning May 13 via These aren't simple blends—they're labor-intensive, high-concept creations that draw from over 200 acres across five distinct Sonoma AVAs, including estate vines planted as far back as 1912. From over 300 individual vineyard lots, Katz and his team selected only the finest barrels to create what he calls 'a sense of time'—a bottled snapshot of a singular vintage, refined by meticulous craftsmanship. 'There's no recipe to this,' Katz says. 'If I can't make something perfect from a vintage, we won't bottle it.' Aperture Collage The 2022 Proprietary White Wine, made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc, was aged for 18 months in barrel and then transferred to custom-made concrete vessels for six more months of refinement. The result is a white wine with precision, polish, and unexpected depth. It's vibrant yet rich—layered with tropical fruit, citrus, green papaya, and a distinctive lemon meringue note, all buoyed by a subtle mineral finish courtesy of the concrete aging. 'It's unlike any white wine I've ever tasted,' Katz says. 'Bright, focused, and full of richness. There's nothing else like it.' The 2021 Collage Proprietary Red is a striking study in balance—intensely structured yet polished, with deep concentration and finesse. Crafted from select hillside vineyard sites and aged for two years in barrel followed by six months in concrete and an additional year in bottle, the wine offers a rich tapestry of dark fruit, savory spice, and integrated tannins. 'This is not just a powerful wine—it's a focused one,' Katz says. 'The concrete aging adds lift and texture, allowing the components to marry together and evolve as one.' The wine's extended aging and complex construction showcase Katz's deep global winemaking experience—now over 25 harvests strong—and his dedication to redefining what California blends can be. Aperture Cellars Collage True to its name, Collage is also a visual masterpiece. Designed in collaboration with Katz's father, renowned photographer Andy Katz, the label features more than 20 of Andy's images layered together using a camera shutter motif. It took seven production passes, custom die cuts, and new label technology just to bring it to life. 'No one's ever made a label like this,' says Katz. 'It's as ambitious as the wine inside.' Each bottle is sealed with hand-dipped wax and exudes tactile artistry—intended to mirror the sensory depth of the wines themselves. While Aperture's prior wines have always been site-driven and varietally focused, Collage represents a more avant-garde evolution—one where boundaries are removed and creativity is the only rule. It's a collection rooted in Sonoma's storied soils but expressed through Katz's global perspective and bold sense of innovation. 'Sonoma County still has that spirit of discovery,' Katz says. 'It allows us to be pioneers and create something truly new, while honoring those who came before us.'
