Rob Hunter

The cellar work was built on disciplined repetition: University of California, Davis provided the technical base, then came roles that put the work of harvest and crush ahead of theory. At Domaine Chandon, Rob Hunter was supervisor on the crush graveyard shift from 1980–1981; at Woodbury Winery in San Rafael, he worked harvest in 1982–1982; and from 1992 he held the winemaker role at Robert Hunter Winery in Sonoma Valley. Today, Rob Hunter is winemaker of Bennett Lane Winery, carrying that same approach forward.

Cabernet Sauvignon sits at the center of the work, and Rob Hunter treats it as a standard to be met rather than a style to be decorated. The focus is on varietal character, structure, and fruit, with flavor understood as part of a larger frame rather than the whole argument. In that register, the goal is clarity: Cabernet that shows what it is without extra handling getting in the way. Maximus Red Feasting Wine, the winery’s initial bottling, sits beside that Cabernet focus as a signature with a different scale.

Named after the 2nd century Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus, it adds breadth to the portfolio while keeping the same disciplined approach to the wine itself. The point is not contrast for its own sake, but range within a body of work still Cabernet Sauvignon. The line that follows him is plain and specific: “Its all about Flavor. But it’s much more.” Read as winemaking language, it sets flavor against structure rather than separating them. The statement leaves room for the larger architecture that gives varietal fruit flavor its shape and staying power.

Rob's signature wines include Maximus Red Feasting Wine, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and Lynch Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Together, they sketch a portrait of a winemaker whose work is anchored in Cabernet Sauvignon yet open to expressions that broaden the conversation around it. Each name suggests a different register, from the bold presence of Maximus Red Feasting Wine to the more site-conscious emphasis implied by Lynch Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.