Since 2012, Ladera’s acclaimed wines have been made by gifted Winemaker Jade Barrett. An internationally trained winemaker, with extensive experience throughout New Zealand, Australia and California, Jade is recognized for making beautifully structured and sophisticated mountain Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Raised on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island, which is famous for producing some of the country’s finest Bordeaux-varietal wines, Jade grew up surrounded by wineries and began working in local vineyards while studying viticulture and winemaking. In 1998, Jade began his career at Te Motu Estate, where he gained invaluable hands-on experience. Over the next six years, Jade traveled the world, and honed his craft, working at Truchard Vineyards and Vine Cliff Winery in Napa Valley, at Craggy Range Winery in New Zealand and at Amberley Estate in Australia. In 2004, Jade returned to Napa Valley to become the assistant winemaker at Lewis Cellars, where he developed a passion for making mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignons. This passion led him to Calistoga’s Jericho Canyon Vineyards, where he spent the six years crafting hillside-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc before joining Ladera in 2012.
In the years since, Jade has guided Ladera’s vineyard and winemaking programs, further enhancing the remarkable quality of the wines, while staying true to Ladera’s vibrant and sophisticated style. Whether he’s driving the steep, winding roads of Napa Valley in search of great new vineyards, traveling to France to evaluate the finest oak cooperages, or introducing new fermentation and tannin management techniques, he is constantly working to create wines that are benchmarks for their depth, elegance and aging potential.
