Winemakers Matt Nagy and Ben Brenner are Matthiasson protégées spreading their wings on their first solo project. With Steve as a mentor and friend they have connections to some of California’s most iconic vineyards making it a cinch for cellar practices to be thoughtful and hands-off, hence the name: Benevolent Neglect. Minimal intervention is the best way to describe their winemaking style. In their words: “the idea of the winemaker is to be the reliable translator—to take what was made in the vineyard from sun, water and soil and let it become the finest it can be.”