“ Live well, drink well, and the devil can’t get you.” – Cuban Philosophy
November 11, 2025 (Sonoma County, CA) — Devil Proof is a cult wine brand created by first-generation winemaker Jesse Katz and was inspired by his time spent in Argentina growing and crafting world-class Malbec.
The story began in 1997 when a photography project brought Jesse and his father, celebrated photographer Andy Katz, to Cuba. Walking the cobblestone streets of Havana, they encountered a Cuban woman who exuded celebration and defiance—an embodiment of freedom, life, and joy, sitting outside her home, cigar in hand. Her charisma captivated Andy, who named one of his photos of her ‘Devil Proof’, capturing her spirit of resilience and zest for life.
Years later, during Jesse’s training as a winemaker, he spent harvests in Argentina at Bodega Noemia and Viña Cobos with famed vintner Paul Hobbs, where he sat at the tasting table with the best makers of Malbec in the world—tasting the finest examples the variety has been known to produce. It left an indelible mark on Jesse. Over the years, his passion for Malbec only intensified, and he dreamed of pushing the limits of what the grape could achieve in California soils under the California sun. But the proof of Malbec’s potential would have to come from a unique source because grapes do not make the wine—the site makes the wine.
“My goal has been to find multiple sites of Malbec that I could do under the Devil Proof label. And it has to be, in my opinion, world-class and rival the best of the best, and has to sit on any great wine table in the world. And, up until this point—and I’ve been searching for well over a decade—I’ve only been able to find two.”-Jesse Katz
Today, the Devil Proof brand revolves around two esteemed vineyard locations, Farrow Ranch in Alexander Valley and Rockpile Ridge in the Rockpile appellation. Each site showcases a unique, single-vineyard, dry-farmed expression of the Malbec varietal, complemented by the addition of a Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Farrow Ranch. This blend introduces a remarkable new layer to their Malbec-focused collection, elevating the Devil Proof portfolio to new heights. These sites are world-class and rival the best of the best. All of the fruit is hand harvested and brought into the winery within hours of being picked. Everything is methodically and obsessively sorted. A cold soak of 7 days with minimal air incorporation starts the extraction and then cool fermentations with native yeast carry out the remaining. Air and temperature are controlled throughout the 21 day fermentation and extended maceration is determined lot by lot when Jesse walks the fine line of full extraction but still keeping an elegant and silky texture. Wines go through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels and are aged for 22 months.
The vineyard-designate wines produced for the Devil Proof labels offer Jesse’s interpretations as singular expressions of each site—of grapes grown within the ecosystems of those vineyards. Those vines are well-tended throughout the growing season, from winter pruning and springtime bud break to summertime bunch growth and fall harvest. As many of the vines are dry-farmed, their thirst is quenched by a metaphorical well of nutrients derived from the land with generous pours of bright and vivid California sunshine.
“Our friend Jesse Katz is one of our favorite winemakers. His project, Devil Proof, proves yet again that he makes the most delicious cult wines in the industry. His wine has been a part of our cellar and enjoyed on countless occasions.” – Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake
Reflecting on Jesse’s memory in Cuba, where Andy captured the photograph of the ‘Devil Proof’ woman, the story has come full circle: today, that same photo graces the front label of every vintage of Devil Proof, symbolizing its journey and significance. This image has also become one of the most famous photographs Andy has taken in his career and has adorned the walls of many galleries, museums, and Michelin starred restaurants.
“Like my father’s ability to tell amazing stories through his photography, my greatest joy is bringing together and interweaving the intricacies of space, place, and time that make an exceptional bottle of wine.” – Jesse Katz
As the old Cuban saying goes, ‘live well, drink well, the devil can’t get you.’ In the context of grape growing, a devil proof wine is an elixir of life, born of the fruit from vines that live and drink well and keeps one safe from the devil. The wine produced from the Devil Proof collection is incredibly rich, with limitless depth and layers of flavors that are floral and fragrant, with supreme elegance; it’s a wine that is always impactful and with impressive length. Today, Devil Proof remains the highest-rated California Malbec by all the top wine critics, including Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and is the first Malbec in US history to receive a 100-point rating by five different critics.
“The wines are brilliant and unquestionably some of the finest expressions of Malbec out there.” – Jeb Dunnuck
“The 2018 Malbec Farrow Ranch from Devil Proof is the best example of 100% Malbec I’ve ever tasted.” – Erin Brooks, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
“Although it is recognizably Malbec, no other Malbec on the planet is quite as pure, well-defined, multi-layered, and evocative as this. Simply put, it’s an artist’s Malbec.” – Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW The Wine Independent
ABOUT DEVIL PROOF
Devil Proof is a cult California Malbec brand created by first-generation winemaker Jesse Katz, inspired by his time in Argentina and a life-changing journey to Cuba with his photographer father, Andy Katz. During this trip, Andy captured the photograph Devil Proof, featuring a spirited Cuban woman who now graces each bottle, symbolizing the brand’s ethos: “Live well, drink well, and the devil can’t get you.” Jesse spent over a decade seeking vineyard sites that could rival Argentina’s best, culminating in two single-vineyard Malbecs from Alexander Valley’s Farrow Ranch and Rockpile Ridge, both meticulously crafted and dry-farmed to reflect California’s unique terroir. Devil Proof, California’s highest-rated Malbec by top critics, exemplifies world-class winemaking through elegant, richly layered wines that celebrate resilience and artistry.
