Alea Fina, Terroir and Craft
Alea Fina Cabernet Sauvignon reflects its legendary Napa Valley origins in a layered composition of terroir, vintage and craft. Inspired by the Chilean expression hilar fino—meaning to obsess over the finer details—together with the Latin word alea, meaning chance, Alea Fina embraces the beautiful tension that defines winemaking of the highest order: the thrilling unpredictability of nature, the meticulous dedication of the winegrower, and the wisdom of the vintner’s guiding hand.
With Alea Fina, I aim to reveal a singular expression of these iconic vineyards, capturing the beautiful typicity of Napa Valley in a glass. Similarly, through my photos of the Milky Way, I express the fragile and wondrous beauty of our origin.
Sebastian Donoso, Winemaker
Meticulous Winegrowing in Napa Valley
Alea Fina Cabernet Sauvignon is the culmination of meticulous winegrowing at five magnificent sites in Napa Valley. Along the valley floor in St. Helena, Lawrence Vineyard is hailed for its well-draining sandy soils and consistently warm days. Grapes from this site lend the wine its refined tannins. Diamond Mountain Vineyard, the backbone of the blend, is Napa’s highest elevation vineyard. Iron-rich, volcanic soils here impart a distinctive mouthfeel and impressive ageability to the wine. Pillar Vineyard, the southernmost site in the blend, sees cooling breezes that afford the grapes more time on the vine to develop lively acidity and red fruit aromas. The fruit at Deux Chevaux Vineyard in Yountville is cooled by abundant wind and fog, giving the wine its brilliant hue and black fruit aromatics. Ringed by mountain ranges in Calistoga at the northern end of Napa Valley, Weppler Vineyard is a high-elevation site with loam soils and plenty of sunshine. This vineyard delivers the wine’s signature rich, ripe character in the glass.
Sebastian Donoso
As lead winemaker for Bonterra Single Vineyard, Alea Fina and Sanctuary, Sebastian Donoso imbues his work with a passion for crafting terroir-driven wines, rooted in regenerative organic practices. Raised around vineyards in his native Chile, Sebastian traveled to Northern California to pursue his degree in Enology and Viticulture. Enamored with the region’s hillside vineyards, he stayed to hone his craft at organic wineries throughout Mendocino County. Sebastian’s approach in the cellar amplifies the nuances of specific blocks and the terroir that defines each.
