June 23, 2025 — Burgess Cellars is honored to announce the launch of its second Artist Series collaboration with Grammy-nominated cellist, Dr. Seth Parker Woods. The annual Artist Series is a way for Burgess to partner with globally recognized and emerging artists, bringing together the spheres of art and wine to celebrate the inspiration of beauty.
This second vintage features a design based on a charcoal drawing of Dr. Woods’ performance “Iced Bodies,” as captured by artist Elspeth Mary Moore. “Iced Bodies” is a durational interactive performance installation in which he played a cello made of ice that slowly melted as he played it, seeking to dramatize the ephemerality of matter in phase transition.
The performance, and its impermanence, has a deeper meaning. According to Dr. Woods, the three-time GRAMMY-nominee and Robert Mann Chair of Strings and Chamber Music and professor at USC, “The inherent vulnerability of a melting ice sculpture—with its eventual destruction—serves as a commentary to overlooked and undocumented cases of mental disability within underrepresented populations.”
“Wine is an aesthetic and cultural artifact that is experienced by the senses in time,one that even alters our perception of time,” said Lawrence Wine Estates CEO and Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy, Jr. “There is nothing two-dimensional about it, so pairing with an artist like Dr. Woods, whose chosen media are so diverse and dynamic, was a natural fit.”
The Artist Series is part of Burgess’ vision to collaborate with and support talented, emerging artists. The Estate’s art collection features a diverse group of artists and commissioned pieces that work to connect to the essence of Burgess: minimalist but modern farming practices, the rich tapestry of people working here, and over 100 years of Napa Valley winegrowing tradition.
“After my initial visit to Burgess in October of 2024, Carlton and I spoke at great length about the history of Burgess, the ethics, vision for the future and the importance of the artist series,” said Dr. Woods. “Being a grandchild of Texas farmers, the ideas of place and vision have always resonated deeply for me, and through follow-up meetings with the full Burgess team, it made complete sense to move forward with the collaboration.”
The 2022 Burgess Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon is a unique blend that is a creative expression from the Burgess winemaking team. This year’s cuvée is a selection of their ten favorite barrels from Sorenson Vineyard in Crystal Springs AVA, Ink Grade Vineyard on Howell Mountain, and Quartz Creek Vineyard in Oak Knoll. It spent 22 months in 30% new French oak, keeping the focus on the pristine red and black fruit of this harmonious Napa Valley blend.
This year’s Artist Series collaboration will be celebrated in July with an intimate dinner hosted by Dr. Seth Parker Woods and Reid Griggs. Guests will dine amongst the vines, enjoying a menu crafted by Michelin-starred Sorrel restaurant from San Francisco and a very moving performance by Dr. Woods. Ticket sales and a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Roots Fund and OLE Health.
About Dr. Seth Parker Woods
Celebrated by The Guardian as “a cellist of power and grace,” three-time GRAMMY nominee Seth Parker Woods’ creative projects delve deep into our cultural fabric, reimagining canonical classical works and commissioning new ones to propel classical music into the future. Whether it be traditional form recitals, concerto performances, or interdisciplinary collaborations with tech, visual arts and dance, Woods’ practice is informed by finding new lenses to revisit ideas of joy, community, identity, and explorations of the human psyche in performance and curation.
About Lawrence Wine Estates
Lawrence Wine Estates is a carefully curated portfolio of iconic, historical wineries. We seek to honor tradition through organic, biodynamic farming and perfectionist winemaking. We’ll never cease building on the patrimony we’re fortunate enough to protect. As stewards of Heitz Cellar, Stony Hill, Burgess, Haynes Vineyard, Ink Grade, and Trailside Vineyard in the Napa Valley and Château Lascombes in Margaux, we offer a suite of meaningful luxury experiences amid grand terroirs.
About Carlton McCoy Jr.
Named a Master Sommelier in 2013 at just 28 years old, Carlton McCoy was one of the youngest people and the second African American to earn this prestigious title. Growing up in southeast Washington, DC, Carlton McCoy’s upbringing was an unlikely springboard for his meteoric rise in the wine industry. After graduation in 2006, Carlton honed his skills in revered institutions including Thomas Keller’s Per Se, Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit, Tom Colicchio’s Craft Steak in New York, and Eric Zeibold’s CityZen at The Mandarin Oriental in Washington, DC.
In 2011, Carlton joined the team at The Little Nell in Aspen, CO. After earning the Master Sommelier title in 2013, he was promoted to Wine Director, overseeing a staff of 150 and The Little Nell’s acclaimed 20,000-bottle wine cellar. Carlton became President and CEO of Heitz Cellar in December 2018.
Today, Carlton McCoy is the CEO of Lawrence Wine Estates, which is the leading portfolio of historical fine wine estates and includes Heitz Cellar, Stony Hill, Burgess, Haynes Vineyard, and Ink Grade in Napa Valley and Château Lascombes in Bordeaux. Under his vision, these wineries craft wines of elegance and balance, while expressing a true sense of place.
In 2023, Carlton McCoy was named Wine Enthusiast’s Social Visionary of the Year for his dedication to diversity, inclusivity, and ability to act and make change happen within the wine industry. Adventurous and athletic, Carlton enjoys traveling the world in search of great wine and spirits and pursuing physically challenging outdoor activities including biking and running marathons.
