2013 The Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon

This Winemaker Made a $350,000 Cabernet

The most expensive wine ever sold, fetching $350,000 at the annual Carnivale du Vin gala in New Orleans, was a 2015 Sonoma Cabernet blend named The Setting. The winemaker, Jesse Katz, earned a measure of fame as the youngest head winemaker in the U.S., after parlaying his stint alongside Andy Erickson at Screaming Eagle into the top job at Lancaster Estate before he turned 25. Katz’s mastery of Sonoma’s Alexander Valley translates into a profound expression of brooding complexity and intense dark fruit called The Bridge. Robert Parker agrees — he awarded 94 points to this “impressive, concentrated wine.” Our connections helped us snag the only bottles yet available, far from $350,000 for The Setting you can secure The Bridge for the subscriber price of $100.

At the annual Carnivale du Vin gala in New Orleans last November, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend named The Setting sold for $350,000. Although the bottle was donated by superstar celebrity agent Shep Gordon, its price raised a few eyebrows because of its origin. This was not a rare Bordeaux from Languedoc or even a cult Napa wine with To Kalon DNA, but a Sonoma wine from Alexander Valley. More specifically, it was a wine made by Jesse Katz, the Sonoma wunderkind and Forbes’ “30 under 30” veteran who synthesized lessons learned from stints at Screaming Eagle and Petrus in Bordeaux into the kind of Sonoma stardom that has celebrities like Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel asking him to craft a special cuvee for their wedding.

The Bridge provides further proof that Jesse’s acclaim isn’t just hype. This Cabernet Sauvignon begins with hefty, serious swirls of black fruit and dark chocolate on the nose. A beautiful layered palate of supple, ripe fruit effortlessly expands on the palate, while lilting tannins guide the wine to a spice-tinged conclusion, a characteristic boosted by aging in French oak for 22 months. This is ready to impress friends now. If you have the patience to wait a few years, it’s going to be mind-blowing.

Jesse’s passion for wine traces back to a trip he took as a teenager with his father and current business partner Andy Katz. Visiting French winemaker Olivier Leflaive in Bordeaux, Jesse truly grasped the bond that exists between grapes and terroir. This connection serves as The Bridge’s foundation, as Katz guides grapes from the gentle hillsides of Farrow Ranch Vineyard to deftly interpret the Alexander Valley’s combination of well-draining volcanic soil and cool climate. The result is a wine that captures the young winemaker at the top of his powers.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 14.70%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• % Cabernet Sauvignon
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork