Fait-Main Tierra Roja Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2023

Frenchman Benoît Touquette is unquestionably a genius.  He has earned 28 100-point scores for his wines throughout his career, so it is fair to say that just about every project he has his hands on turns to gold.  After studying for his master's degree in Chemistry at the University of Bordeaux, Benoit worked at several excellent but high-volume wineries.  There, he realized his passion lay in making limited-production, high-end wines.  Enter a remarkable mentor: Andy Erickson. Under Andy's guidance, Benoît honed his craft, assisting with some of Napa's most elite estates, including Screaming Eagle, Ovid, and Arietta, to name a few.  After starting his consulting business, Benoit is now the front man for labels such as Jack Quinn, Kata, Hartwell, and his own Fait Main and Teeter Totter.

His newest paramour, Tierra Roja Vineyard, lies in Oakville's eastern bench, defined by its distinctive red volcanic soils. Developing a relationship with the vineyard owner, Linda Neal was a slow burn. Since the 1980s, Neal—along with just one other winery (TOR)—has been the sole producer of wines from Tierra Roja.  But Benoit does not shy away from a challenge, and with neighbors like Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, and Rudd, he could only imagine the potential of fruit from the pedigreed plot.