Cornerstone Cellars

Jeff Keene

Winemaker Jeff Keene began his career as a food scientist in his native New Zealand where he focused primarily on grape and wine research. Realizing that life in a lab coat was not for him, he returned to school and earned a degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University in New Zealand. This led him to move to the Napa Valley where he continued his hands-on winemaking education under the tutelage of Michael Havens and Peter Franus of Havens Wine Cellars, which was recently purchased by Trinchero Family Estates. From these two mentors he began to view the art and science of his new career as an “understanding of the relationship between the vineyards and winemaking”. Today Jeff creates fine wines in a variety of styles and says his biggest challenge as a winemaker is that “wines are consumed so young these days that the challenge is to make an enticing, generous and elegant wine upon release, but also one that becomes even more delicious in the cellar with age and patience without compromising your stylistic goals”. A delicate balance to be sure, and we here at Cellar Angels are proud to present to you one example of Jeff’s fine work. Enjoy! Read an interview with Jeff.

This delectable wine is made from fruit sourced from vineyard sites renowned for quality and a unique sense of terroir; Cabernet Franc from Talcott Vineyard in St. Helena and Merlot from Truchard Vineyard and Stewart Ranch Vineyard in Carneros. The Cabernet Franc provides the personality while Merlot rounds out the complex flavor profile of the fruit. Finely grained tannins and excellent acidity are just some of the traits of fruit from these outstanding vineyards.

About Stepping Stone by Cornerstone:

Stepping Stone and Cornerstone are flip sides of the same coin and bring an interesting challenge to the winemaker. While using the same fruit from the same vineyards, the two expressions are completely different. While Cornerstone wines are made to be powerful and with the intention that they will age well for years in the bottle, Stepping Stone wines are made in a more approachable style that allow the drinker to open a bottle with Sunday night dinner.