Mark Herold earned a Ph.D. in Ecology at U.C. Davis before starting his career in winemaking. He was a research enologist at Joseph Phelps Vineyards then in 1998 started making Merus, a cult Cabernet Sauvignon, in his Napa garage. Since then he’s been a consultant to wineries throughout Napa Valley and he has continued to make wines under his own name. He is best known for his full-throttle Cabernet Sauvignons, though he also makes blends and whites that are unusual for California. Herold’s non-Cabs include Tempranillo, Grenache, Carignan, Albarino and Verdejo blends. His Cabs, and some other wines, typically earn ratings in the low- to mid-90s from reviewers.