“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but to be someone”
—Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel has inspired me and my work on many occasions. Her story begins as an orphan and ends by creating classic, simple and elegant designs that changed the world.
While I am not an orphan, I certainly felt like one when I left Colombia at the age of 18 and landed in France. Not only was I far from home and alone in this new country, I was a foreigner and a woman—in a very male-dominated industry. It was not easy for a woman to become a winemaker in France. I pushed myself harder than I could ever imagine and even told my first employer, Stephan Ogier, that I was expecting him to treat me like a man as I worked on the perilously steep hillsides in Côte-Rôtie.
Chanel’s designs inspire, too. Taking such simple but strong colors to build her repertoire brings me to what I look for in wines. These single-vineyard wines that I am releasing now embody this idea. I want them to show their true personality, a simple expression of where they are from. These wines are not “something” created from a formula—they are “someone.” Each place that I source this fruit from has a personality. Join me in enjoying the personality of these wines, and finding one’s true expression.
What the critics are saying
“ …one of the finest Syrahs to ever come out of the appellation… “
—Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate
Cattleya Soberanes Vineyard Syrah 2014
Possessing a touch of La Mouline-like violet and floral characteristics, the utterly sensational 2014 Syrah Soberanes Vineyard offers decadent notes of jammy blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla bean, damp earth and pepper to go with a full-bodied, layered, beautifully pure and seamless style on the palate. It has a wealth of fruit, yet it also has a great mid-palate, building, chalky tannin and a terrific finish. This gorgeous effort has both richness and elegance, and will drink well for a decade or more. Pure class.
⋅ 97 points. —Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate ⋅
Vivid purple. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh, spice-laced black and blue fruits, incense, candied violet and vanilla. Stains the palate with intense black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that are given spine and cut by a jolt of smoky minerality. Deeply concentrated yet graceful, finishing with outstanding focus and steadily building, velvety tannins.
⋅ 94 points. —Josh Raynolds, Vinous ⋅
The nose is bright and lavish black fruit, ground pepper, bread dough, spun sugar, violet, plum and raw meat. The palate is saturated dark berry, firm acidity with a backbone of piquant red and blackberry with notes of herb. Drink 2016-2013.
⋅ 93 points. —Doug Wilder, PDWR ⋅
Cattleya Donum Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014
The 2014 Pinot Noir Donum Vineyard is a gorgeously elegant, perfumed and floral Pinot Noir that sports a vibrant, translucent purple color as well as medium-bodied richness, a silky, lively texture, integrated acidity and terrific complexity in its violets, exotic spice, peppery herbs and black cherry/framboise aromas and flavors. From a cooler site that’s closer to the bay, in Sonoma County, it saw a small portion of whole clusters during fermentation and was aged in three French oak barrels. Drink this elegant and impeccably balanced Pinot Noir anytime over the coming decade or more.
⋅ 94 points. —Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate ⋅
Roederer clone. 25% whole clusters. 5-day cold soak, fermented on the skins for 18 days, aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark reddish purple hue in the glass. Nicely perfumed, with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and a deft touch of oak. Structured and somewhat bold, with earth-kissed flavors of black cherry and blackberry. The firm but polished tannins are nicely balanced by a laser beam of acidity propelling the finish. A classy wine that is built to age, and a proper salute to Carneros terroir.
⋅ 93 points. — Rusty Gaffney, PinotFile ⋅
The 2014 Pinot Noir Donum Vineyard is plump, juicy and forward, with lovely palate presence and terrific overall balance. Sweet red cherry, plum and spice notes meld together in a forward, juicy Pinot to drink now and over the next few years. The 25% whole clusters are nearly buried by the intensity of the fruit. Some of the up-front raciness tapers off on the finish as a more savory edge of iron, smoke, game and herbs become more prominent. The Donum is a highly appealing Pinot from Cattleya.
⋅ 91 points —Antonio Galloni, Vinous ⋅