A few years ago, Bella Oaks, as a winery, made their debut to the public with their 2018 vintage. But it was their 2017 that was the first wine they made under new stewardship. For 34 years, Bella Oaks exclusively supplied grapes to Heitz, starting in the 1976 vintage. In 2010, Suzanne Deal Booth purchased the vineyard with the goal of honoring its history and producing exceptional grapes for a single estate wine. Today, she leads the team alongside renowned winemaker Nigel Kinsman and viticulturist David Abreu. While they chose not to produce a 2020 vintage, their inaugural Red more than compensates. After tasting it the end of October, we can confirm that it lives up to expectations, boasting bold, juicy notes of dark fruit and a lingering finish that will only improve with a few years of aging.