Maitre de Chai, Massa Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

The Massa Vineyard was planted by the Durney family in 1969 and is situated at 1,500 feet above the Cachagua region of Carmel Valley. The vineyard's conversion to organic viticulture was one that began in the 1980s, and the vineyard has now been farmed Certified Organic since 1996. The soils are comprised of a combination of sandy loam and granitic soils.

The wine was fermented with its native yeast in small open top fermenters and aged for sixteen months in neutral barrels. Two puncheons and three barrels were produced.

Maître de Chai translates to keeper of the cellar, or the person responsible for the development and aging of wine. By extension, the humble cellar master is the person responsible for the management of the winery.

Established in 2012, Maître de Chai is the personal project of Marty Winters and Alex Pitts. Together they look to make wines of high quality in a way that best showcases the sense of place where the grapes are grown and the personality of the vineyard. From the ground to the bottle, the character of the wine is the focus of all their endeavors. Sourcing grapes from unique and distinct single vineyards that are impeccably farmed in California.

As the name implies, they care for the wines in the cellar, always deferring to nature, limiting intervention. They taste and wait, allowing the wines to develop and speak for the places in which they are rooted.