Marty Winters & Alex Pitts

This wine (in its inaugural vinage) sits squarely within an exciting new category of California Cabernets, which seems to borrow more from the Great American Songbook than they do Napa. Old vines, soulful expressions, and textures that are kneaded and smoothed. Formerly known as Heller Estate, Massa Estate is a pioneer of Carmel Valley viticulture with plantings that date back to 1969. It was standing ready when the appellation was approved in the early eighties, and it’s been certified organic since 1996. The Cabernet vines, own rooted and dry farmed in soils of sandy loam and granite, are perched at an elevation of 1500 feet, providing a sweeping view of the verdant Cachagua region (hidden waters). The wine was fermented with its native yeast in small open top fermenters and aged for sixteen months in neutral barrels.