Cattleya Wines was described best this year by John Mariani in Forbes Magazine: “Of course, the remarkable thing about California wine regions is that one doesn’t need a century or more of development to make an excellent Pinot Noir that will rival some of the best in Burgundy, where they tend to be somewhat lighter in body but have more complexity and nuance.
That said, it is still quite an achievement for a woman from Colombia, where vineyards are ‘virtually non-existent,’ to achieve such eminence in Sonoma in little more than a decade.
Bibiana González Rave, 46, born in Medellin, says that she rarely drank wine at home but even so had a fantasy of becoming a winemaker. She first studied chemical engineering, then—speaking no French—moved to France in 2001, working the vineyards in Côte-Rôtie at Domaine Stéphane Ogier and Domaine Clusel-Roch then in Bordeaux at Château Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion, earning a BTS degree in Viticulture and Enology from Cognac followed by a degree in Enology from the University of Bordeaux, graduating with honors. She then took the usual grand tour of estates in California, South Africa, and France for several years. By the end of 2011, she founded Cattleya Wines in Sonoma; four years later she was awarded ‘Winemaker of the Year’ by the San Francisco Chronicle. She is married to Jeff Pisoni, winemaker for Pisoni and Lucia Vineyards. They have two sons.
The orchid Cattleya Trinae on her labels is the national flower of Colombia, known for its succulent leaves and vibrant blooms, and, she says, she aims for ‘complexity in the aromatics and texture on the mouthfeel’ as her hallmarks. ‘I craft my wines with a long finish that develops in the mid-palate with ample generosity. I pay no attention to ‘numbers’ when making harvest decisions, but I do believe in precision with wines driven by acidity and tannins.’
I never expect California winemakers to mimic the Pinots of Burgundy—different soils, different climates, different techniques—but Cattleya sets a standard for vying with the essential flavors of the varietal that make great Burgundies so special.
The Collection series Pinots are fancifully named: 2022 Cattleya, Belly of the Whale’s name refers to rebirth, ‘symbolized in the worldwide womb image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering or accumulating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown, appearing to have died.’ Whatever. It’s a stunning wine from Petaluma, racked to 75% new French oak barrels where it aged for 18 months, unfiltered and unfined, 14.5% alcohol, bottled March 1.
The Goddess Sonoma — ‘the epitome of all that is feminine’— certainly has some lovely spice to it along with dark fruit flavors and moderate tannins. The grapes come from the Gold Rock vineyards just five miles from and above the Pacific Ocean and made from a blend of Pinot Noir clones 777 and 115. Rave’s romantic streak allows her to enthuse over this beautiful Pinot, ‘The meeting with the goddess is the final test of the talent of the hero to win the boon of love. This is seen as the ultimate adventure and is represented by the marriage of the hero to the goddess. Here we taste femininity and masculinity converge in this singular wine.’
Duty required me to taste these wines upon release last April, but I wish I could have let them reside in my cellar for at least two more years. For if these Pinot Noirs don’t require the Rip Van Winkle sleep of Grand Cru Burgundies like Romanée-Conti, they will certainly evolve for some time. When they are fully mature, I hope Bibiana González Rave will let us all know. Meanwhile I expect her vintages of the future will get better and better.”
