Chimney Rock

Bordeaux Influence
The story of Chimney Rock is entwined with the story of Napa Valley's Stags Leap District, home to some of the most elegant Cabernet Sauvignon produced on American soil. But the winery's beginnings hark back to the original owners' love of Bordeaux. When the late Hack Wilson and his wife Stella retired after a long career in the beverage industry, they decided to fulfill a life-long passion and began searching for a winery. Their search started in South Africa, their home, and continued in France. In 1970 they came close to acquiring Chateau Phélan-Ségur in Saint-Estèphe. But the owners decided not to sell, and the search continued. As it did, friend and wine expert Alexis Lichine advised the Wilsons to "Look everywhere, but buy in Napa Valley, for Napa is to California as Bordeaux is to France." In 1980, a 180-acre estate located on the Napa Valley's Silverado Trail and occupied by a golf course called Chimney Rock, captivated the Wilsons and they decided to make it home. By this time, the Stags Leap area was already gaining worldwide attention and acclaim for its Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inspired by the chiseled rock formations in the nearby eastern hillsides, the Wilsons decided to keep Chimney Rock as the name for the winery. They plowed under nine holes of the golf course and planted the 75 acres to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Fume Blanc.

In 1987, a year after releasing their 1984 vintage, the Wilsons joined forces with Doug Fletcher, former winemaker at Steltzner Vineyards and Martin Ray Winery. A steward of the land and a meticulous winemaker used to working with only outstanding quality grapes, Doug set about working from the ground up at Chimney Rock. The winery produced its first estate vintage in 1989. That same year, the first winery building, with its massive allegorical frieze of Ganymede, cupbearer to the gods, was completed. In addition to his winemaking and vineyard expertise, Fletcher is noted for his development of the "Fletcher Lyre" and "Balanced Vine Viticulture."

The 1990s: Change and Focus

In 1990, the hospitality center was built in Cape-Dutch style reminiscent of wineries in South Africa, resplendent with gardens and a welcoming fireplace. It was then, Chimney Rock produced its first Elevage, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. In 1991, Doug produced his first Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Then, the root louse phylloxera was discovered in Napa Valley. This presented an unlikely opportunity. Phylloxera actually set the stage for more of Fletcher's trademark "from the ground up" approach. He eventually had the entire vineyard replanted. Today, Chimney Rock is one of a handful of wineries producing all Stags Leap District estate-grown Cabernets. Like all Chimney Rock reds, these wines do not "demand" aging. They are ready to enjoy today, yet they also have the tannic structure required for great longevity. They will age gracefully for 10 to 15 years.

The New Century
May, 2000 marked a compelling new era at Chimney Rock, as the winery formed a partnership with the Terlato family (owners of Terlato Wines International), representing three generations of expertise in the wine business.

In close collaboration, the Terlatos and Doug Fletcher developed and implemented a master plan for expansion. This included orchestrating the selection and planting of an additional 50 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon on the remaining half of the estate's original golf course. Using sophisticated soil analysis, Doug identified six different vineyard blocks and matched those with four appropriate rootstocks. He also worked with the Terlatos to design and construct a new larger winery facility. This state-of-the art building allows for more investment in select French oak barrels and the space to conduct Chimney Rock's fine-tuned winemaking process of handpicked, small-bin production, with select grapes going from harvest to press within moments.

State-of-the-art soil-analysis and rootstock selection; proven vineyard practices that encourage optimum grape size and quality; estate facilities that allow sublimely ripe grapes to move from harvest to press within hours-these are just some of the finely tuned elements that characterize the winemaking process at Chimney Rock. Through it all, our goal is to make the choices that result in world-class Cabernets that may be fully enjoyed upon release, or after years of aging.

Though he has always given careful consideration to every aspect of the winemaking process, winemaker Doug Fletcher sights a critical turning point for the development of the Chimney Rock style. When the Chimney Rock vineyards (and most of the Napa Valley) were infected with phylloxera early in the 1990s, he had to replace every vine on the estate. "What could have been a disaster turned out to be a blessing," he says. "It led me to reexamine every step of our vineyard and farming practices and fine tune them to fully realize the potential of this special property."

Great Vines Make Great Wines
Fletcher's search for the best farming practices led him to the "Balanced Vine" method. First proposed around 1900 and later advanced by such notable viticulturists as Nelson Shaulis and Dr. Richard Smart, it is an approach that works with nature instead of against it. This method encourages the vine to grow naturally, without artificial manipulation. If done right, the vine will only set the amount of fruit it can ripen. This eliminates the need for green harvesting and leaf-pulling. By harvest time, the carefully managed "Balanced Vine" approach results in a generally uniform crop that yields small, concentrated berries.

Fletcher begins his winemaking in the vineyard, with detailed soil analysis to guide his choice of the right rootstock. "Matching the rootstock with the soil is the first key winemaking decision," he notes. The right rootstock is chosen by matching the vigor of each vine to the particular type of soil and angle of the hillside slopes, all to achieve the right degree of moderate water stress. The Fletcher Lyre, a customized trellising system (created by Doug Fletcher), supports his methods of pruning and controlled growth ensuring each side of the vine is equally exposed to the sun.

Terroir is of course a central factor in determining the characteristics of a wine. According to Fletcher, the "Balanced Vine" method demonstrates that in the final analysis, great vines make great wines. And in the noted Stags Leap District this can result in perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon that is luscious, full and complex with a velvety finish.

"Balanced Vine" characteristics include:

• Moderate water stress by early June, which produces the small berries.
• Leaves and fruit mostly in the sun, which intensifies color and berry-like aroma.
• Properly stressed vines produce only the number of leaves required to ripen the small clusters. This assures that the sugar goes to the fruit and not to unnecessary leaves.
   

Located along the Silverado Trail in California's Napa Valley, the Stags Leap District appellation is home to some of the most elegant Cabernet Sauvignons grown on American soil. The district begins seven miles north of the town of Napa, embracing Chimney Rock Winery at its southern end. The Yountville Cross Road draws the northern boundary. Barely a mile wide and three miles long, the district is bounded by rocky hillsides on the east and the Napa River on the west. Its name derives from the legend of a nimble stag, said to have escaped a hunter by making a fantastic leap from one of the district's towering rock outcroppings to another.
Grape-growing in the district goes back to the 1880s, but was halted by the root louse phylloxera in the late 1800s and then by Prohibition, early in the 20th century. During that time, much of the district was turned back to orchards of prunes, apples, pears, and walnuts. It wasn't until 1961, when vintner Nathan Fay planted the District's first Cabernets, that other growers and winemakers were drawn to the area. One by one, they discovered the "magic" in this long, narrow pocket of land. Here, the natural environmental mechanics of warm sun and cool breezes mesh perfectly with coarse, gravelly soils. Hillside rocks with a western exposure retain the heat of the day and radiate it back out at night. The heat is moderated by cool, swirling Pacific breezes that blow north from the San Pablo Bay. This combination of elements encourages optimal ripening, as the coolness maintains the grapes' acidity and lush, pronounced fruit flavors. Then and today, pronounced fruit character, gentle but well-structured tannins, and silky texture are the hallmarks of Stags Leap District Cabernet.

Long before the BATF designated the area as an official appellation, a 1973 Stags Leap District Cabernet swept the famed Paris tastings of 1976 when it won in a blind tasting that included Bordeaux from Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion, and Montrose. When the tasting was repeated in 1986, another Stags Leap District Cabernet, a 1972 vintage, took the honors. Today, Stags Leap District wineries such as Chimney Rock continue to produce Cabernets that compare favorably with the world's greatest wines.

Winemaking is a life-long journey and we are committed to learning from our grapes and listening to our vineyards to produce the best wines we can, year after year. Our goal in winemaking is pure at Chimney Rock. Our wines aim to tell the tale of our grapes, our place, and our seasons. Our greatest gift at the winery is the fruit we grow with meticulous care. We never take for granted that wines should be made the same way each year. 

The journey of winemaking begins every year as we pay close attention to watching our fruit develop, obsessively monitoring the growing season. We watch as the color and grape skins develop. We observe the fruit characteristics so that when our grapes are harvested, we are ready to make the critical decisions which will create magic in the barrel. 
We are adventurous in the cellar – we have a winery which allows us to explore everything. Every year is a learning opportunity to continue to try different yeasts, different barrels, cap management techniques, and aging procedures. The goal every vintage is to continue fine-tuning and producing the best expression of our renowned Stags Leap District estate red wines and our unique estate white wines.