History
Jean Laurent leaves the Bordeaux region of France in 1852 to join the Gold Rush in California, a journey that leads him to establish one of the first wineries in Napa Valley. His Bordeaux upbringing molded him into a viticulture and winemaking purist, and he quickly discovers that the Napa soils are a natural home for the grapevine. Jean founds the winery in 1874 and — after finding success with his wines — builds the stone cellar in 1879 that...