Region: Napa Valley, California

Vintage: 2018

Composition: Cabernet Sauvignon

History: Undoubtedly a superstar on the rise in California, Frenchman Benoit Touquette makes a host of Napa Valley wines, all of which display impeccable vinification and balanced, layered profiles. Benoit was born in Lyon, France and obtained his education at the University of Bordeaux. He worked in numerous French wineries before landing a job (with the help of his friend and mentor Michel Rolland) in Napa Valley with Andy Erickson. He consulted for Screaming Eagle, Ovid, and Arietta. Today, Benoit is the winemaker for Realm Cellars, Hartwell, and Kata, as well as many other labels, including his own Fait-Main (which translates to “handmade”) project.

Tasting Notes: “Teeter Totter” Cabernet Sauvignon Blend with its dull ruby/purple color showcases tons of fruit on the nose: cr?me de cassis, blackcurrants and blackberries interspersed with notes of baking spices, lavender, graphite and licorice. It’s big, bold and full-bodied, round and juicy loaded with black stone fruit, a hint of cigar spice and a hint of fig on the long, silky finish. This is a wine that could be drunk now or for the next decade.