Located in the heart of Sonoma wine country, Montage Healdsburg is thrilled to unveil Surveyor, the resort’s own private estate bottled wine label. Created in partnership with celebrated winemaker, Jesse Katz, of Aperture Cellars, Surveyor’s inaugural release consists of a 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, both harvested from Montage Healdsburg’s estate vineyard. Crafted and bottled at Aperture, this dynamic partnership yields wines that celebrate the bounty and hospitality found only in Sonoma County.
The first vintage, available exclusively to guests and residents of Montage Healdsburg, Surveyor’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2021 Sauvignon Blanc are grown from the custom vineyard that Katz designed from the ground up, highlighting the beautiful volcanic hillsides and small nestled blocks located throughout the resort’s 258 acres. An homage to exploration and the unique terroir of Sonoma County, the bottle features an image of a plumb bob, an ancient and instrumental tool that was found in the soil pits when designing and planting the vineyard. A new version of this tool was also used to survey Montage Healdsburg’s grounds to lay out and plant the vineyards.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a velvety wine with aromas of blackberry, cassis, lavender, and dried tobacco. On the palate, a dense medial of black cherries, dried fig, leather, ripe black fruits, and pencil shavings. The wine is complex and layered, with a very long and bright finish that continues to open up in the glass for hours. Unfined, unfiltered, and unacidified, Surveyor was barreled in 80% new French oak for 22 months.
The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc is a medium-bodied and zippy wine with a decadent creaminess balanced by notes of lime citrus, white peach, green apple, ripe pear, and grapefruit zest, comprised of estate-grown sauvignon blanc and sauvignon musqué grapes planted in 2019. Once harvested, the grapes were kept separate until bottling and the whole clusters were pressed lightly before settling in a stainless-steel tank at 50°F for three days before aging on its lees for 17 months in a 35% new oak 65% used oak Francois Frere barrel. No malolactic fermentation occurred, and this method was purposefully chosen to ensure the preservation of the bright aromatics and acidity of the wine.
A mainstay of Sonoma wine country, Katz brings a dynamic approach to winemaking, delivering wines with powerful characteristics and silky tannins, which have earned him recognition as both a “40 Under 40 Tastemaker” from Wine Enthusiast and a “30 Under 30” honoree from Forbes. Montage Healdsburg’s partnership with the spirited and renowned vintner began in 2016, when the resort’s ownership, still in development, approached Katz and proposed he identify sites within the resort’s 258 acres to plant vines.
“It has been a pleasure to watch Jesse pour his heart and soul into the vineyards at Montage Healdsburg, resulting in really special wines that capture the essence of the resort: al-fresco California living in a convivial and striking natural setting,” said Allen Highfield, general manager of Montage Healdsburg. “We are looking forward to guests trying our exclusive private label and know they’ll return time and time again to the resort to enjoy our cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc.”
Katz oversaw the planting of 15.5 acres of vines throughout the resort’s 258-acre spread of rolling vineyards and oak tree groves, approaching the task with a decades-long knowledge of the region’s complex terroir and keen on finding the best sites for premier plantings. Grape varietals found in the vineyards at Montage Healdsburg include malbec, merlot, petite verdot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc, many of which underwent super-high-density planting, allowing for hands-on vineyard work including pruning, maintenance, and harvesting through sustainable and organic vineyard practices, all in which Katz participates and oversees.
Guests of Montage Healdsburg looking to explore more from the acclaimed winemaker can dine at Hazel Hill where the wine list includes one of the largest and most diverse portfolio offerings from Aperture Cellars, including rare “library wines,” which are typically only available to members of the estate’s Wine Collective. Additionally, guests can learn more about the winemaking process at Aperture Cellars.
