A Surge Across Sonoma

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2024 issue of The SOMM Journal.

In April of 2024, I met with Jesse Katz at his Aperture Cellars estate in Healdsburg, California, to sample wines from his new project in partnership with the nearby Montage Healdsburg. The label, Surveyor, comes from 15.5 acres of vines he helped plant on the resort property. As we sampled the three current releases—a plush, full-bodied, spicy 2021 Sauvignon Blanc ($55); a mineral-bright, acid-driven 2023 Rosé ($75); and a coiled-up, super-expressive, dark-berried 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon ($125)—our conversation turned to the surging growth of Sonoma County, in particular the area around Healdsburg, and what it means for the future of the California wine industry. This is what he had to say: