Aperture Cellars is a Sonoma County winery that combines Bordeaux-inspired winemaking with California’s generous fruit character. Its reputation rests largely on Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varieties, and carefully constructed red blends. The winery’s Aperture Red Blend 2022 is particularly interesting because Aperture aims for wines that deliver richness and concentration without sacrificing structure, freshness, or balance.
The winery and its background
Aperture Cellars was founded by winemaker Jesse Katz, who developed his winemaking skills through work in California and abroad, including experience at prestigious estates.
His father is the renowned photographer Andy Katz, whose photography inspired the winery’s name and visual identity. The concept of an aperture—the opening through which light enters a camera—connects photography with the art of winemaking.
Jesse Katz has established himself as one of the most accomplished winemakers of his generation, earning recognition on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 Tastemakers, and Wine Spectator’s Rising Star designation. He also made winemaking history by producing the first California Malbec to receive a perfect 100-point score.
His impressive credentials include experience at some of the world’s most prestigious wineries, among them Château Pétrus in Bordeaux, Screaming Eagle and Robert Foley in Napa Valley, and Viña Cobos in Argentina. Beyond his distinguished résumé, Katz has earned a reputation for skillfully managing challenging vintages, producing wines that retain their balance, structure, and character even when growing conditions are less than ideal as they were in 2022.
In 2016, Aperture Cellars acquired a historic 42-acre vineyard in Healdsburg, California, establishing what would become the Aperture Estate. The property, where grapevines were first planted in 1912, is now home to a 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art winery and a 4,000-square-foot hospitality center, both designed by Signum Architecture.
Aperture’s winemaking philosophy emphasizes selecting vineyard sites that allow each grape variety to express its character. The wines tend to be polished, concentrated, and approachable, but are intended to retain the acidity and tannic structure necessary for complexity..
Aperture Red Blend 2022
The 2022 vintage is a particularly interesting composition because Malbec, rather than Cabernet Sauvignon, is the leading variety. The blend is Malbec 36%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot, 24%, Petit Verdot 3%, and Cabernet Franc 2%, an unusual composition for a California Bordeaux-style blend. It was aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak. The wine was bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without acidification.
The wine is a not quite opaque garnet. The nose offers plum, blueberry and a bit of cherry. These continue on the palate, plus some cocoa, bolstered by snappy acidity and cozy tannins. There is a little sweetness on the entry, This increases somewhat as the bottle is emptied, but never gets out of control. The finish is medium long. Production was approximately 8,470 cases. ABV is 14.5%.
Serving at 62–65°F and giving it approximately 45 to 60 minutes in a decanter. A grilled ribeye, roast lamb, or beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction would make an excellent accompaniment.