Aperture Cellars is blowing up! While they might be fairly new on the scene, their red wines have been grabbing a bunch of HUGE scores and critical praise from everyone and their brother, myself included.....
Their 2022 Sonoma County Red is a prime example of Jesse Katz's winemaking prowess, and it's a wine that has garnered 93-97 points from Decanter, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and Wine Enthusiast.
Lynn and I got into a bottle this past weekend, and I can assure you it is good to the last drop. We sipped on this one slowly without any food, and the first glass was great, but the last glass was even better, delivering glorious flavors of ripe blueberry, cassis, huckleberry, cigar box, Asian spices, and bittersweet chocolate.
Jess Katz is the brilliant "wine mind" behind Aperture Cellars, and he definitely "did his homework." Before starting Aperture in 2009, Katz trained with Bob Foley at Hourglass and Andy Erickson at Screaming Eagle. In case you're not familiar, those are 2 of the best veteran winemakers in our country, and they don't take on many apprentices.
Jesse obviously listened and learned, and after several vintages and consistently great wines at Aperture, he was named Wine Enthusiast's Winemaker of the Year in 2025. His 2022 Red Blend is a great introduction to his style, and it's proof that he's a skilled and capable winemaker who makes reds that are hard not to like. Coming from hillside vineyards planted in volcanic soils in Alexander Valley, this blend of 36% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc was matured for 18 months in 50% new French oak.
It is a triumphant, classy, and complex red wine that offers the best of both worlds in terms of its drinkability. You can totally drink and enjoy it now, but this also has some serious cellar potential. My advice -- buy 3+ bottles, and drink one now, another in 5 years, and the last one sometime between 2035 and 2040.
Like the Aperture Cab, which scored 96 points with Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and is $59.99 best price, the critics loved this Red Blend:
Wine Enthusiast - 97 points - "This opulent Malbec-forward blend delivers loads of crushed blueberry, black plum, coffee and sage aromas on the nose, while the palate displays hearty tannic structure with lavish acidity and flavors of currant, cassis, shattered granite, dark chocolate and licorice."
Decanter - 94 points - "A vibrant, layered blend of 36% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and a final 5% of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, this wine brings freshness and perfume to the classic Bordeaux framework. The nose opens with a mix of black and red berries, wet roses, and subtle green undertones that add aromatic tension. On the palate, it’s compact, with dusty tannins and a warm finish that carries notes of spiced cocoa."
If this doesn't sound good to you, I don't know if we can be friends : ) Seriously folks, this is the "stuff" I look for all the time, but rarely find......wines that offer maximum QPR, and this one definitely delivers the goods!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
