Established in 2014, The Setting is a collection of luxury wines created by three friends: Jeff Cova, Noah McMahon and winemaker Jesse Katz. Jesse’s experience spans 19 harvests at internationally acclaimed wineries such as Chateau Petrus, Robert Foley, and was a part of the winemaking team at Screaming Eagle. The Setting Wines is a culmination of relationships spanning decades from Napa to Sonoma County to Willamette Valley, sourcing from some of the most prestigious vineyards the regions have to offer. Recently, Jesse was named Wine Enthusiast’s Global Winemaker of the Year for 2025.
This hidden gem of a vineyard is situated in the northernmost portion of the prestigious Oakville appellation, nestled beside neighboring Cabernet Sauvignon vines at Screaming Eagle. Offering the richness of the Oakville valley floor with the structure of hillside fruit, wines produced from Skellenger Vineyard provide a tremendous amount of concentration from tannins, while maintaining balanced richness and approachability.
The nose offers detailed aromas of black cherry and blueberry pie, licorice, musk and sandalwood with undertones of lilac and sagebrush. The full-bodied palate is bursting with ripe, concentrated fruit, although it doesn't feel overripe or weighty. Its vibrant acidity balances that opulence, and finely grained tannins add a plush feel.
97 International Wine Report
96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville was matured for 22 months in 100% new French oak. Winemaker Jesse Katz notes that while many areas in 2021 expressed the relatively cool, even growing season, naturally warmer sites like those in Oakville actually showed a fair amount of warmth. "As far as growing degree days," he explains of these warmer sites, "2021 was similar to 2020. The rest of the sites were much more similar to 2018 and 2019. But the warmer sites in 2021 will show that warmer season. I haven't seen an expression like that before." The nose offers detailed aromas of black cherry and blueberry pie, licorice, musk and sandalwood with undertones of lilac and sagebrush. The full-bodied palate is bursting with ripe, concentrated fruit, although it doesn't feel overripe or weighty. Its vibrant acidity balances that opulence, and finely grained tannins add a plush feel. You could drink this now for its alluring fruit or allow it to mature in bottle over the next 10-15+ years.
96 Owen Bargreen This comes from a vineyard between Rudd and Screaming Eagle. Aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak this offers creme de cassis, anise, tar and loamy soils on the palate, with lifted tannins and a refined mouthfeel. Chocolate and graphite notes complete this beautiful wine is refined and rich that is showing beautifully right now. Drink 2024-2044
96 Jeb Dunnuck Inky black-colored and aged in 100% new French oak, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is quite an expressive wine from The Setting, with aromas of sweet tobacco, plush plum, cigar box, and leather, all hallmarks of Oakville. Ripe and plush, it offers a lovely, ripe, sweet feel with a plush, rounded texture and a long finish. It’s very well done, with a lot of youthful charm, but it will benefit if given time to shed its fat. Drink 2026-2046.
95 James Suckling Aromas of red currants, flowers, cedar, and dark chocolate follow through to a medium body, with fine toned tannins that run the length of the wine. Pretty balanced. Open and delicious. Drink or hold.
95 Decanter The 2021 The Setting Oakville Cabernet comes from a site sandwiched midway between Rudd and Screaming Eagle and is farmed by Oscar Renteria. It is a decadent red with a savoury aromatic profile of spiced plums, tobacco, grilled herbs, ironstone minerals, and spiced cedarwood. It is medium to full-bodied with saline-laced blackberry and blackcurrant fruits and spicy wild herbs on the extended finish marked by more mineral tension and a firm backbone of lacy acidity, which layers in freshness and kind of coiled-up energy. Drinking Window: 2024 - 2042
