Winemaker: Sean Capiaux

Sean Capiaux has deftly established an impressive and notable career at prominent wineries around the globe since his graduation from California State University, Fresno (BS, Enology; minor in Chemistry) in the late 80’s. Such wineries include: Jordan, Pine Ridge, Peter Michael, O’Shaughnessy and Cimarossa in California; Macari, Jamesport and Schneider in Long Island, NY; and Houghton's in Australia. In 1994 Sean launched his own label, Capiaux Cellars, which has garnered consistently favorable reviews among both professional reviewers and his own cult-like following of restaurateurs and consumers. He is presently CEO and winemaker for O'Shaughnessy winery in the Howell Mountain sub-appellation of Napa Valley and winemaker for Cimarossa Howell Mountain wines while continuing to make his stunning Capiaux Cellars Pinot Noirs. He began his career at Jordan Winery in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley where he worked for two years before joining Houghton Winery located outside Perth in Western Australia. After experiencing the harvest in Australia, Sean returned to the United States to work as assistant winemaker at Pine Ridge Winery in the Stags Leap district of Napa Valley. Two years later Sean joined Peter Michael Winery in Calistoga as the assistant winemaker where he worked for four years. In 1996, Sean and his wife Gina moved to New York so that his wife could attend Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences in New York City. As a bicoastal winemaker, Sean continued to produce Capiaux Cellars Pinot Noir in California while also working as the winemaker for Macari Vineyards, Jamesport Vineyards and Schneider Vineyards on the North Fork of Long Island, NY. In 2001, they returned to the Napa Valley to start up a new winery, O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery in the Howell Mountain district. Presently Sean works as winemaker and CEO for O'Shaughnessy Estate winery while producing his own primarily single-vineyard Capiaux Cellars Pinot Noirs. Recognized as one of the most difficult varieties to produce, Pinot Noir is also one of the noblest of red wines. The philosophy at Capiaux Cellars is to produce single-vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir that express a unique character of the vineyard and region. Sean’s winemaking style is neo-classic in that modern equipment is used to produce non-interventious wines that are naturally fermented, unfined and unfiltered thereby showcasing the varietal.

Annual Production: 2,500 cases