The Hartwell Estate

Location, Location, Location

After thoroughly evaluating every wine region in California, we concluded there was no better place for the style of wine we wanted to make than Napa Valley's Stags Leap appellation.

The ten million year old Vaca Volcanic Mountain Range on the eastern border of the appellation absorbs the morning sun and reflects the afternoon rays back onto our hillside vineyards below. During the day, the maximum exposure to sunshine helps our vines ripen more efficiently than those growing down on the flat valley floor. At night, the San Francisco Bay marine layer rolls in to cool the vineyards, effectively putting the vines to sleep by slowing the ripening process. Together, the hilly terrain and temperature fluctuations create the optimum growing conditions that define the greater Stags Leap micro-climate. This regulates the ripening process like environmental clockwork, and helps enhance the fruity characteristics that result from the right balance of acid and sugar.