2021 La Sirena Grenache Aviatrix Sonoma County 750 ml

Heidi Barrett is the winemaker behind the 1992 Screaming Eagle—the Cabernet that redefined what California wine could be and now fetches tens of thousands of dollars at auction. She's made 100-point wines for Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Paradigm, and a half-dozen other Napa icons. A Barrett Cabernet will cost you hundreds. When Heidi Barrett puts her name on something, people pay attention—and pay accordingly.

Which makes the 2021 Aviatrix Grenache such a fascinating thing.

This isn't a blockbuster Napa Cab. It's a cool-climate Grenache from a high-elevation vineyard tucked into Bennett Valley, one of Sonoma's smaller and more quietly distinguished appellations, grown on volcanic, gravelly soils between Sonoma Mountain and Taylor Peak. Think Châteauneuf-du-Pape in spirit—dark-fruited, perfumed, and structured—made by one of California's most celebrated winemakers.

Aviatrix is a mother-daughter project—Heidi as co-winemaker alongside her daughter Chelsea, with daughter Remi running sales and marketing. The name honors the intrepid women throughout aviation history who surpassed society's expectations to soar to new heights. Heidi herself is a licensed helicopter pilot, and the label carries that spirit into every bottle: poised, purposeful, and built to go places.

Bennett Valley earns its reputation quietly. Nestled among three mountain peaks and cooled by marine air that funnels through the Crane Canyon gap from the Pacific, it's a slow-ripening, long-season appellation with volcanic soils that stress the vines just enough to produce intense, focused fruit without heaviness. For the 2021 vintage, Heidi sourced from a high-elevation site with gravelly soils and afternoon sun—ideal conditions for the kind of Grenache she was after.

In the glass, the 2021 Aviatrix is dense and dark ruby, with aromas of Damson plum, black cherry compote, and purple florals layered over black pepper and herbal notes. The mouthfeel is generous and dark-fruited through the midpalate, with an herbal undercurrent, silky tannin, and a long, composed finish. Aged 15 months in French oak—30% new—it has just enough structure to reward a few years of patience, though there's plenty of pleasure right now.