Trefethen Wines 2016 Halo Cabernet Sauvignon: The Ultimate Napa Valley Cabernet

About Trefethen: Three Generations Strong

Trefethen is a third-generation family winery that was started by Gene and Katie Trefethen in 1968. Gene Trefethen had a luminous career before he decided to make his foray into California wine. His most significant accomplishment was founding Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest healthcare businesses in the world.  

This is a wine blog, so we won’t get too into the weeds with Gene’s life before retirement led him to Napa Valley, but Gene Trefethen “came up with the idea of a contract between the medical groups and the health plans and hospital foundations that would set out roles, responsibilities, and financial distribution in what would become the Kaiser Permanente Medical Program.” 

Trefethen also project managed the building of the Hoover Dam and San Francisco’s Bay Bridge. In other words, before he was an influential vintner, he was a very influential figure in the business world.

Gene and Katie purchased what was then the Eschol Ranch in 1968, but it was Gene’s son who actually created the Trefethen winery in 1973 with his wife Janet, and truly established the brand both locally and around the world.

John and Janet also helped establish Napa Valley as a place where serious wine lovers could enjoy serious wines. John was the founding President of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers Association, and Janet helped lobby for the creation of the Oak Knoll District as its own designated AVA.

The Next Generation Takes Over

Sometimes, family transition plans happen earlier than anticipated, and that’s exactly what happened in the case of Trefethen Wines. The big Napa earthquake of 2014 destroyed one of the most significant parts of the property, the McIntyre Winery, which is over 131 years old and is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Amid the chaos of rebuilding what was lost, John and Janet’s daughter Hailey was tasked with rebuilding the McIntyre winery. The project was a complete success, and upon completion, Hailey began the transition of taking over operations for the winery as a whole while her brother, Lorenzo, increased his role in the sales and marketing of Trefethen Wines.   

Winemaker Bryan Kays

We often talk about Cinderella stories in California wine, and those are largely focused on winery owners, but Trefethen winemaker Bryan Kays has a Cinderella story of his own. Bryan joined Trefethen as an intern in 2005. From there, he moved up the ranks by taking on tasks in the cellar, followed by Tefethen making him the associate winemaker, and then, in 2015, he was selected to be the brand’s head winemaker. But wait. This story gets better. In 2019, Bryan married Hailey Trefethen, the heiress of Trefethen Wines! Talk about a rise to the top.

Oak Knoll District: A Unique Microclimate

Trefethen’s position halfway between Yountville and Napa on the east side of Highway 29 is rarified air where grape growing is concerned. This region, known as the Oak Knoll district, benefits from a subtle marine influence while also absorbing the type of day-time heat that Napa is known for, so the team at Trefethen can grow both classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and a less widely popular Napa grape, Riesling. In fact, Trefethen is one of the biggest producers of Riesling in Napa Valley, thanks to its location in the Oak Knoll District.