Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1011938
{ SOMMjournal.com } 45 culinary program under the direction of newly appointed Executive Chef Britny Maureze, the oppor tunity to share the optimal pairings of Caber - net Sauvignon and curated cuisine is a compelling frontier for the team. "I'm excited to help lay the groundwork for a truly special por t - folio of culinary experiences that will be sure to distinguish us as one of the most memorable proper ties for those visiting Napa Valley," Maureze says. "Wine and food go hand in hand, and by presenting Cabernet Sauvignon to guests in an educational culinary setting, they will leave the winery with a firm understanding of how to experience Sequoia Grove wines at home." STRIVING FOR Better Bonitati says the Sequoia Grove team constantly pushes each another to ask, "How can we do better?" This enthu - siasm for the future is clear with every encounter at the winery, and with the renovation nearly complete, Bonitati, Hill, Terrell, and other employees are focused on ensuring Sequoia Grove is regarded as a benchmark Napa Valley estate in the years to come. As Hill puts it, "You can have the best grapes in the world, the best facility, and the best barrels, but if you do not have a team that is passionate, committed, enthu - siastic, and knowledgeable enough to do what needs to be done, you're not going to be where you want to be at the end of the day. I think that we have that team, and I'm excited about our future." A fireplace warms the newly renovated visitor's center at Sequoia Grove Winery. At The Biltmore Hotel in Miami, Florida, Head Sommelier Jose Garcia has served Sequoia Grove's Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay by the glass since he was first introduced to the wines in 2014. Right away, he developed an appreciation for the estate's philosophy of focusing on the vineyards first and allowing them to shine in the glass: Garcia says that because most of his guests prefer Napa Valley wine, "they find in Sequoia Grove the charac - teristics they love." "They love the fruit and the terroir, especially Rutherford," he adds. "In my own experience with Ruther- ford, I love the dusty factor, which reminds me of Bordeaux." Meanwhile, at The Winery Restaurant in La Jolla, California, Managing Partner William Lewis has been a firm believer in the label for more than 20 years. "I was introduced to it through Morton's Steakhouse when I started there in 1995—the wine has always had a great quality-to-value ratio," Lewis says, adding that he also finds it very smooth and ap - proachable in its youth. "Molly [Hill] has made Napa better and Napa Cabernet Sauvignon better. She's really raised the quality of the wines." TASTING NOTES 2016 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($28) Harvested between 21–24 Brix, this wine is zesty with aromas of lemon peel, Asian pear, and lem- ongrass. On the palate, it's silky yet vibrant as crisp citrus flavors layer with hints of cardamom. 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvi- gnon ($40) Long, silky texture with vibrant purple fruit and fuzzy mocha tannins. Approachable and ready to drink in its youth, but built to age. PHOTO: BENJAMIN RUSNAK Seared duck breast with duck confit, rhubarb, hibiscus gastrique, duck jus, and potato soufflé masterfully prepared by Chef Gregory Pugin of Palme d'Or, a French restaurant at The Biltmore Hotel in Miami, FL. PHOTOS: ALAN DE HERRERA Above left, William Lewis, Managing Partner at The Winery Restaurant in La Jolla, CA, finds Sequoia Grove very approachable in its youth. Above right, bacon venison wrapped with cocoa-espresso spaetzle in a blackberry-sage reduction "brings out the fruit in the wine [while] the tannins assist in the breakdown of the lean meat," Lewis says.