Images Courtesy of Suzanne Becker Bronk
The Yountville AVA is a Napa Valley Appellation named after the American pioneer, trapper and frontiersman George C. Yount. He was the first person to plant grapevines in the area in 1836.
Yountville’s wines are among some of Napa Valley’s most elegant, refined and intricate creations, from Cabernet through to white grapes. The elegance comes from Yountville’s more southerly position which means it is constantly experiencing fog and wind. The wines are supple as they come from a low elevation region without mountain influence. But the same benchland that runs through Rutherford and Oakville extends here, creating a very favorable growing area for Cabernet. So the wines are similar to Rutherford and Oakville bench Cabernets in that they are complex with finely knit tannins, yet tend to be lower in alcohol due to the cooler climate.
Yountville is of course also justifiably famous as being a jumping off point for Napa Valley’s tourists. Some of the regions finest hotels and restaurants are located in this quaint village.
The area making up the Yountville AVA and the town of Yountville is named after the American pioneer, trapper and frontiersman George C. Yount. He was the first American settler in the area which was originally part of the Rancho Caymus land grant, two leagues of land given to Yount in 1836 by Governor Nicolas Gutierrez, with influence from Yount's friend General Mariano Vallejo. As the first major landowner in the area, George Yount had a large influence on how the region would develop, even after his death. The town now called Yountville was originally named Sebastopol when founded by Yount in 1855, but after his death in 1867 the town was renamed to Yountville. George Yount is credited with planting the very first grapevines on his property in the 1840s and making wine using traditional processes, trampling grapevines with bare feet and storing grape must in suspended ox skins. When the fermentation process was finished, the wine was drained through a hole punched in the skin.
George Yount's original rancho would eventually grow to become some of the most valuable vineyard real estate in America. In 1864, George Yount gave a 1040 acre portion of the Caymus Rancho to his granddaughter Elizabeth and her new husband Thomas Rutherford as a wedding gift and that area, now called Rutherford, still bears their name to this day.
Wine production in the area diminished during the onset of Phylloxera and later Prohibition, but today is home to over 3000 acres of planted vineyards, over 100 winegrowers and over 20 winemakers.
Yountville was officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area in 1999. Today the Yountville AVA and town of Yountville are widely renowned for their world class vineyards, wineries and restaurants.
"Yountville in the heart of Napa is gifted with a gentle micro-climate, providing grapes plenty of time to develop rich, complex flavor compounds whilst retaining natural acidity. The alluvial and loam gravelly soils allow roots to sink deeply resulting in wines that are a true reflection of their terroir."
- Ivo Jaramaz, Grgich Hills Estate
On land first planted to vines in the 1870s, our Miller Ranch Vineyard is south of Yountville nestled between the Napa River and Hopper Creek. Here the soils are silty, cool and deep -- perfect for aromatic white wines. Open to the south, the vineyard enjoys the benefit of bay breezes and fog which contributes to the wine’s green citrus and melon notes and bright minerality.
Located in the southwestern corner of the Yountville AVA in the shadow of the Mayacamas Mountains, Sleeping Lady Vineyard is named after the silhouette that a lower ridge line makes against the taller Mayacamas ridgeline. The soils of Sleeping Lady are dominated by alluvial fans, loamy and rocky, a product of the vineyard's proximity to the Mayacamas. Originally planted in the 1870s, Sleeping Lady Vineyard was purchased in 2013 by Larry Bettinelli. The fifth generation of Napa Valley farmers, Bettinelli has been farming Napa Valley vineyards for 50 years and is known for his viticultural innovations.
The Ghost Block vineyard, named in honor of the historic Pioneer Cemetery for which it borders, is nestled on a gently sloping knoll on the north edge of Yountville. This highly sought after vineyard is composed of 18 acres of unique, rarely found, exposed vertical bedding of tertiary volcanics. It is southeast facing, receiving mid-morning and afternoon sun and cooling in the evening and early morning with down valley marine influence. Planted solely to Cabernet Sauvignon it is 100% certified organic and the crown jewel of the family’s 635 planted acres.
We’re proud to be the custodians to some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Napa Valley. Our Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in 1959 to the Inglenook clone (also known as Niebaum Cabernet Sauvignon #29) on St. George rootstock. More than a half century old, these vines have developed a root system that reaches deep into the subsoil to access all the available nutrients. They produce fewer grapes at this age but more concentrated, intense flavors that express a greater depth of terroir and complexity.
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