Napa Valley
Napa Valley residents Thomas tucker and George Burrage purchased the land that would become Vine Cliff Winery in 1870 from what was then the famous Yount Estate. Vine Cliff Winery was officially founded in 1871 but fell into disrepair and became what is locally known as a “ghost winery.” It was resurrected about one hundred years later and became fully functional in the 1980s. Today the vineyard holdings total 100 acres with elevations from valley floor to a bench vineyard at 680 feet. The lower blocks are terraced, and the soil composition is basically volcanic while the upper blocks are planted on the famous Oakville Bench with red clay and loam soils. Bryan Zupon, estate director and general manager tells Robb Report that “terraced viticulture is rare in Napa and gives the wine a distinct liveliness and energy,” and adds that the wine is made using “single vineyard, estate-grown fruit from our site on the eastern Oakville bench. It is sourced from our terraced vineyard blocks between 200 and 700 feet above the valley floor, overlooking Silverado Trail.”
From 1985, Vine Cliff Winery was owned by the Sweeney family and was sold to Canadian businessman Stephan Crétier in 2023. Today the estate is run by Stephan Crétier and Stephany Maillery and the winemaker is Rob Sweeney. Rob first came to Napa Valley in 1986 when his family purchased the land in Oakville and hired numerous winemakers to assist them including Jill Davis, Paul Hobbs, John Gibson, and Celia Welch. Rob attended Napa Valley College, where he earned his degree in viticulture and today he is proud to add the word “winemaker” to his numerous duties at Vine Cliff Winery.
When asked about the perfect window to drink the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon sent to 672 members earlier this year Zupon suggested enjoying one now and recommends “revisiting this wine in the 2028 to 2030 window. It will certainly be enjoyable for long after that, but we think it important this wine be enjoyed while its freshness and generous fruit characteristics are still at the forefront. Six to eight years from harvest is a great time for this.”
Visitors to the estate are very welcome but are asked to register in advance for tasting and tours. For example, there’s a 90-minute option that includes a tour of the winery as well as a walk through the 15,000 square foot caves, followed by a tasting in the outdoor garden or inside the winery depending upon weather.
