[1] While at Stags Leap, he helped Warren Winiarski create and bottle the 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon that was blind tasted in the Judgement of Paris.
[6] Sessions became winemaker and general manager at Hanzell Vineyards, in Sonoma, California, starting in 1973.
[5] Hanzell Vineyards became a family affair for the Sessions, with wife Molly helping to manage the property and son Ben working in hospitality.
He made primarily Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a foray into Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1980s.
[2] Sessions also served as president at Hanzell, retiring in 2001 and becoming winemaker emeritus.
[2] His style was Burgundian in nature and Sessions was considered a "pioneer" for his early adoption of stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels.
The Chardonnay was fermented in stainless tanks prior to being aged in barrel.
[2][4] Sessions would introduce his son, Ben, to cheesemaker and chef Sheana Davis.