Vineyards

Our estate vineyards are planted on the eastern slope of the Mayacamas mountain range over looking Calistoga in the north end of the Napa Valley. The rows of vines, on a 6x11 spacing, are angled with the slope of the grade, a configuration which allows for maximum vines per acre. At the time of grafting, there wasn’t the push to have the bud wood classified by clone number. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines came from a Chateau Montelena vineyard, the Cabernet Franc vines came from somewhere in Sonoma near Healdsburg, and the origin of the Merlot vines is unknown. In today’s world, the clones would be numbered and pedigreed. We have a drip system installed; however, until recently we watered very seldom and the vines grew almost too well.

The area’s topography and aspect contribute to a special microclimate. Hillside topography and valley temperature inversions combine to give the region an unusually moderate temperate regime during the growing season, with lower maximum temperatures and higher minimum temperatures than nearby locations on the floor of Napa Valley. The microclimate of the Diamond Mountain region is clearly distinctive when compared to the surrounding areas. The region is slightly warmer than the Spring Mountain District to the south but somewhat similar due to comparable upland locations, northeastern aspects, and cooling influence of marine breezes from the Pacific Ocean. The microclimate is significantly cooler than the floor of the Napa Valley to its northwest and north, due to various tempering influences primarily associated with its upland location. It is also cooler than adjacent land to the west in Sonoma County, due to its predominantly northeastern aspect which provides oblique sun and shade in the afternoon, while the western aspect of the Mayacamas Mountains adjacent to the region in Sonoma County is clearly hotter and drier.

The special climate and soils of our location help create grapes with intense flavors, soft firm tannins and good acid balance. The wines produced from these excellent grapes are age worthy as well as being very approachable at release. Ours wines tend to have deep color with cherry/berry flavors with a hint of cassis. The eastern aspect of our vineyards and cooler temperatures make it difficult to produce overly ripe grapes with high sugar, grapes of which would tend to produce wines with high extraction, high alcohol and in-your-face fruit flavors. Instead, we produce subtle, well-structured, food-friendly, age-worthy wines.