Snowden Vineyards

Variety -- Vintage -- Terroir Randy -- February 10, 2016

Many of you have heard us say that Diana makes our wines with the goal of delivering the grape, the location, and the vintage into the glass.  She practices what’s sometimes called “non-invasive” or “non-interventionist” winemaking.  In many ways, it’s more difficult than “invasive” or “interventionist” winemaking, where wines are tightly controlled to produce a uniform, engineer...

The Snowden ranch lies on the eastern slopes of the Napa Valley overlooking the towns of Rutherford and St. Helena.  

In 1955, Wayne and Virginia Snowden purchased a ranch along a ridge in the eastern foothills of the Napa Valley. In addition to the stunning views of St. Helena, Rutherford and the San Francisco Bay, the property came with seven acres of grapes and six acres of prunes, walnuts, plums and peaches. In 1962, realizing the futur...

The Snowden Ranch is located on the eastern slopes of the Napa Valley between St. Helena and Rutherford.  Although hillside sites like ours can appear steep and formidable from the valley floor, they often hide surprisingly level and welcoming terrain.  Writing in the St. Helena Star in 1880, a reporter approaching our property from the west, put it like this:

“Those who only pass through the center of the Napa Valley have little idea ...

The Brothers Vineyard

The Brothers Vineyard is located in the middle of the Snowden ranch at an elevation of 800 to 850 feet and occupies the best terroir on the property.

Soil: Rhyolite

Exposure: southern, western, and eastern

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Clones 337 (Entav 15), 191, and 169

Acreage: 11 acres

The Lost Orchard

The Lost Orchard was the site of a long-abandoned plum orchard when the Snowdens acquired the pro...