Acumen is a new, artisanal project from three Napa Valley wine stars. Denis Malbec is Acumen’s winemaker. Malbec grew up at Château Latour and worked there as cellar master and enologist in the 1990s before moving to Napa Valley, where he has made wine for estates including Kapscandy and Blankiet. Viticulturists for Acumen are Steve Matthiasson and Garrett Buckland. Matthiasson, who makes wine with his wife under his own Matthiasson label, was the San Francisco Chronicle’s 2014 Winemaker of the Year, and he is widely seen as one of the leaders of a group of California winemakers producing what they call more “balanced” wines. The trio is making wine from 116 acres in the Atlas Peak AVA. Acumen produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab blends and Sauvignon Blanc.