We’re a family estate, in Napa’s long tradition of vineyard homesteads.
We fell in love with a Napa we came to know in the early 1980s, which is to say a Napa that hadn’t changed much since the repeal of Prohibition. Farmers and winemakers tasting out of their cellars, unabashedly agrarian and bucolic. Remote and often wild places; even on the well-traveled Silverado Trail you felt like you were miles in the country. So when we started looking for a vineyard, we knew exactly what we wanted. We wanted our own piece of dirt, high up on Howell Mountain, perhaps Napa’s most remote outpost. A place to farm with all of the raw materials to allow for the utmost in quality in our wine.
And Almacerro was it. At almost 1,800 feet, the grapes grown here are mountain fruit — no debating that. Since we have been here, we have worked to revitalize and expand the vineyard planted by the family before us, so it can reach its full potential. Our crushpad is rustic and our caves unadorned. But they work. Like a lovingly restored family heirloom, we’ve fixed what was broken and embraced the property’s character and beauty everywhere else. Under Mike Wolf’s care the vineyard is flourishing, and with Françoise Peschon and Matilda Scott’s expertise, the wines have a profile that reflects our approach — forthright in structure, nuanced and balanced in character, and evocative of this incredible place.
The winemaking team is the beating heart of Almacerro.
The property inspires awe with its raw beauty, but it wouldn’t be what it is without our team’s dedication and love for the place.
