The Winery Doren of Sonoma Valley of California

AXA Millésimes has expanded its footprint in California by purchasing Platt Vineyard on the western reaches of Sonoma Coast for an undisclosed sum. The French insurance giant’s wine division made its first foray into the Golden State when it bought Napa Valley winery Outpost back in 2018. Managing director Christian Seely has been on the hunt for a vineyard of similar quality to produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay ever since. AXA Millésimes jumped at the opportunity to snap up the 111-hectare Plat ...

Josh Jensen was famed for producing elegant, silky Pinot Noirs at Calera Wine Company on the Central Coast.  Leading wine critic Robert Parker Jr once described Calera – the company that Jensen founded in 1971 – as ‘California’s Romanée-Conti.’ Jensen completed undergraduate studies at Yale, but his love of fine wine blossomed while completing an MA in social anthropology at Oxford University in the UK. He was a key member of the rowing crew at both universities, but he still found time to devel ...

The Napa Valley 2022 harvest got underway in early August for some sparkling and white wine styles. ‘We had our earliest harvest ever, and started picking Sauvignon Blanc on Monday 1 August,’ said Stephanie Honig, of Honig Vineyard and Winery. ‘The fruit came from our grower partner Gordon Family Ranch, which is located in the southeast area of the Napa Valley appellation,’ said Honig, who is export director at the family-owned winery. Harvest typically begins with older ...