Our Vineyards - South Napa Valley

As pioneers with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah in the cooler southern end of Napa Valley, we find it important to remind people of what sets this area apart, the basis of our “terroir” or site character. Closer to the moderating influence of San Francisco bay and the chilly North Pacific, our growing season here starts earlier but extends longer than the more inland areas. Mid-afternoon temperatures in Napa can be as much as 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than St. Helena and Calistoga, which lie at the northern end of the Napa Valley, a mere 20 miles away. Just as important, cooling begins earlier in the afternoon and descends lower in our area. This regular big chill actually stimulates certain enzymes in grape skins, especially those responsible for color and complex tannin development. The result is wines with deeper, more stable color, and mouth-filling, textured tannins, all with slightly more acidity for refreshing fruitiness.

Of course soil is important in creating terroir also. The south Napa Valley features predominantly clay loam soils. Clay (soils with very fine particles that tend to stay close together) is important for two reasons: first, it holds water well, giving it up slowly to vine roots. This allows gradual ripening, without drastic swings between moisture levels. Second, because it does harden as it gradually dries out, clay doesn’t offer vine roots the plush environment that leads to excessive vigor (defined as more leaf canopy than needed to support ripening grapes). Both these benefits of clay are ideal for Merlot, which can be overly vigorous in rich soils (producing vegetative wines) and ripen too quickly if the vine runs out of water (producing high sugars while still carrying green, undeveloped tannins in skins and seeds). We thus get our fruit ripe 2 to 4 weeks later than the warmer up-Valley sites, but we find it thoroughly mature, with ripe tannins in seeds and skins.