Sonoma-Cutrer Assistant Winemaker Elliott Millett Passes Away
Sonoma
County, Calif. Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir assistant winemaker
Elliott Millett, 43, passed away on August 10 after battling health
problems for an extended period of time.
Since joining Brown-Forman and Sonoma-Cutrer
in 2002 he worked closely with long-time Sonoma-Cutrer winemaker
Terry Adams to craft and launch the winerys Pinot Noir offering,
the first non-Chardonnay produced by the winery since 1981. His
first vintages have achieved great market success, consistently
selling out and being placed in allocation, and the wine has been
hailed by wine critics.
Winemaker Millett is survived by his wife,
Christina, twin sister Amber Brown and a younger brother, Aaron
Millett. Elliott and Christina were childhood friends, later high
school sweethearts who attended the prom together. His sense of
humor and welcome expertise will be sorely missed by all of us,
said Adams.
Originally from Massachusetts, he graduated
from Fresno State in 1986 with a major in enology and viticulture.
After working in the hospitality industry as a hotel manager in
Boston, he gained winery experience at Trefethen and Rutz wineries
before joining Sonoma-Cutrer. He was an avid skier, outdoorsman
and traveler.
The family has
established a memorial fund at the Bank of the West (account 095134797)
benefiting the American Cancer Society. A memorial service in
Danvers, Massachusetts is planned.
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