Barnett Vineyards

With passion and patience, Fiona and Hal Barnett created this vineyard and winery in 1983 with the intent of producing small amounts of hand crafted Cabernet Sauvignon wines from their estate. Since the first vintage of Barnett Vineyards, Spring Mountain has proven to deserve its own AVA and become known as a unique mesoclimate, producing exceptional Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots.

The vineyards are located at the top of Spring Mountain, at elevation 2,000ft, and planted on steep terraces that follow the contour of the land. In some places, the grade averages in excess of 35%. Mountainside farming is very challenging. The vines must struggle to reach nutrients and water in the soil and, as a result, yield only one to two tons per acre. The elements of sun, temperature, and well-drained porous soils give an advantageous water stress to the vines and contribute to the depth, richness and character of the wines. Grapes are harvested by hand; vineyard row by row, as optimum ripeness and maturity is reached. Fermentation is done in small batches.

Since the winery's first 100 cases in 1989, Barnett Vineyards has grown to approximately 6,000 cases in total production. Rattlesnake and Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignons are the focus at the estate with total Cabernet production varying between 2,000 and 3,000 cases annually. In addition, Barnett Vineyards produces limited amounts of Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc sourced from single vineyards located in well-desired appellations.

Each wine made at Barnett Vineyards is either Estate Bottled, from Spring Mountain or from a single vineyard in another viticulture district that we have chosen. The wines, therefore, are inextricably linked to the vineyards from which they come from.

The Estate Vineyards are all located at the top of Spring Mountain. The majority of the vineyards are terraced on slopes that are 30 degrees or more. The original estate vines are almost 30 years old and are planted on a 6x10 grid. In the past few years much of the original vineyard has undergone redevelopment and now vines are spaced 4x4. The topography is so steep and the plantings are so closely spaced that traditional farming methods such as tractors and disking are not possible. The Estate Vineyards are completely farmed by hand from bud break until harvest. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Both soil content and weather contribute to the uniqueness of the Estate Wines. The soils are poor in nutrients and contain much rock, the richer topsoil having washed down to the valley floor many years ago. This poorer soil makes the vines work harder to produce fruit, the results being smaller crops, and smaller more intensely flavored berries. The location and elevation of the property contribute substantially to the characteristics of the wine. The coastal fog which covers the floor of the Napa Valley most mornings during the growing season seldom reaches the top of Spring Mountain thus giving our vineyards several hours of sunlight each day of which the valley floor is deprived. The elevation keeps our temperatures an average of 8-10 degrees cooler all year which usually results in later bud break and a later harvest than vineyards located at lower elevations.

While the main focus of Barnett Vineyards is the Estate Vineyards and wine, the other wines we produce are made from neighboring vineyards on Spring Mountain or single vineyards from other AVAs that we favor. These wines are also an expression of place and climate. To learn more about the details of each vineyards and wine click on to the wine of your choice on the left of this page.

Spring Mountain District Association was started with the purpose of promoting Spring Mountain District Appellation by engaging the broad community of member vineyards and wineries, while working within the resources available. The Association is committed to promoting the unique attributes and wines of the Spring Mountain District and to be an integral part of the fabric of the community on Spring Mountain and in the Napa Valley.

Spring Mountain District - above the Napa Valley - is a place of individuals, more often than not, of couples, of families, with passion, dreams and a whole lot of energy.

Spring Mountain, officially established as an AVA (American Viticulture Area) in 1993, was described 25 years ago by a prominent wine writer as "probably more responsible than any other Napa hillside for creating the mystique of 'mountain grapes'."

The rugged hillside AVA of Spring Mountain perched on the west side of the Napa Valley was one of the first vineyard areas to be planted by the early settlers in the 1800s. Named for its many natural springs, it is endowed with forests and meadows of great natural beauty amid charming reminders of the historic past. The name Spring Mountain has been used in a regional context and does not refer to the name of a peak or prominent point. The area has numerous springs, and is drained by several small streams. The appellation lies above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains that separate Napa Valley from Sonoma Valley and the Santa Rosa Plain. Encompassed within its bounds are about 8,600 acres, of which about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. This mountain appellation is defined by vineyards that range from small to smaller, often hand-tilled on terraces and sloping meadows, and wineries hidden from view among dark forests and steep winding roads.

The mountain landscape presents numerous challenges for today's viticulturist. Establishing vines in the lean soils, obtaining and distributing water in the dry growing season, and preventing erosion are constant concerns. Weather patterns, strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the San Francisco Bay to the south, tend to intensify the harshness of winter storms and moderate summer heat. Spring Mountain's good vineyard parcels are naturally small and widely distributed, always far from the conveniences on the valley floor. It is well known that grapevines that struggle at the edge of their habitable range for water, nutrients and sunlight develop fruit of more intense character and taste, and hence more memorable and long-lived wines. So this rugged mountain environment is in some sense ideal for creating great wine. It is the winemaker's charge to maintain that fine degree of nurturing that results in vines being stressed but not overstressed, by assuring them of just enough necessities to bring forth the finest fruit.

Perhaps as a result of the hillside's unique requirements and promise, the viticulturalists and winemakers here are an unusual group of individuals dedicated to tackling the challenges with strong ideals of integrity and faithfulness to the terroir. Spring Mountain properties require an attention to detail that eliminates the possibilities of mass production and corporate style winemaking. Many of our hands-on winemakers have been attracted here after successful careers in other fields, and a number of them might be characterized as stubborn individualists. They nevertheless agree on the potential of Spring Mountain wines, and are dedicated to making them some of Napa Valley's finest. Over the years, despite its limited space and remoteness, this appellation produces luscious and memorable wines acclaimed worldwide for the unmistakable intense flavor and delicate, balanced tannins that are now the signature of Spring Mountain wines.

Today Spring Mountain produces wines of outstanding power, quality and elegance.