CLOS DU VAL

As the Napa Valley turns westward into the Stags Leap District, it meets a defining seam—where the warmth of the valley floor collides with the marine influence from the bay. The afternoon breeze follows the path of the Napa River, drawing inland before slowing, gathering, and eddying like water against the rugged palisades.

This convergence guides ripening, softens tannin development, and contributes to the wine’s rounded, seamless mouthfeel. The result is a natural cooling effect—warm days balanced by cool nights—ideal for producing some of the world’s most celebrated Bordeaux-styled Cabernet Sauvignon, along with remarkably balanced Chardonnay.

Clos du Val is a family-owned Napa Valley estate in the Stags Leap District, founded in 1972 and celebrated for its elegant, Bordeaux-inspired wines. Known for its role in the historic Judgment of Paris, the winery has built a legacy of crafting balanced, age-worthy wines that reflect the distinct character of this remarkable convergence of climate and terrain.

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MCKENZIE-MUELLER

Karen McKenzie was raised in Monticello, a Napa County town lost beneath Lake Berryessa—an early reminder of how water reshapes land and legacy. Today, at McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards in Los Carneros, that same relationship defines the wines. Cool bay breezes and dense clay soils produce balanced, expressive Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Since 1989, this family-owned estate has followed its own path, crafting unfiltered, age-worthy wines meant for food, conversation, and time.

Farming here is intentional and alive. Through the Yellow Clay Farm Company, cover crops like brassica—wild radish related to daikon—break up heavy soils, retain moisture, and return nutrients to the earth. In the cellar, that same philosophy continues: small-lot fermentations are inoculated naturally, with wild yeast drifting in through open doors from the rolling hills of Los Carneros.

There’s a funky, “dirt-first” feel to this place—unpretentious, hands-on, and rooted in the way Napa worked in the ’70s and ’80s. It reminds us of our own small winery in the foothills of Howell Mountain, where the connection to soil, seasons, and vintage is everything.

On our Water to Wine Tour, that connection comes full circle—linking vineyard, river, and restoration, from early winemaking roots to the Living River Flood Project that reshaped the Napa Valley ecosystem.

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SAINTSBURY

Saintsbury’s portfolio reflects a pronounced marine influence, shaped by cooling breezes from San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean through the Petaluma Gap. Their Pinot Noir, Vin Gris, and Chardonnay express a coastal freshness and refined structure, drawn from vineyards spanning the Sonoma Coast and Los Carneros.

Vandal Vineyard and Wildcat Vineyard are both featured during our guided or self guided, Water to Wine Tour and can be seen in the nearby hills illuminating a deeper connection between the land, the water, and the wines in your glass.

Saintsbury Winery is a family-owned Napa Valley producer founded in 1981 and recognized as a pioneer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Carneros region. Established by UC Davis–trained winemakers Richard Ward and David Graves, the winery is known for crafting elegant, vineyard-driven wines that emphasize balance, terroir, and a minimalist approach.

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BUTTUELO RANCH

For us, Battuello is personal. We grew up on these dirt roads, meeting at the swimming hole along the Napa River between Casa Nuestra and the ranch. This stretch tells the story of the valley’s raw energy—where floods once surged through narrow corridors, stripping away topsoil and leaving behind the original “rockpile.” These lean, unforgiving soils force the vines to struggle, producing wines of depth, structure, and character.

Battuello Ranch is a historic, family-owned Napa Valley estate in St. Helena, founded in 1909 by Italian immigrant Matteo Battuello, who settled here after working the nearby cinnabar mines. Drawn to one of the valley’s narrowest stretches, he understood how these rocky, alluvial soils—shaped by ancient floods—would produce exceptional grapes. Five generations later, the family continues to craft small-lot wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon and rare Valdiguié, rooted in tradition and sustainable farming.

Often known as “Napa Gamay” or “Gamay Beaujolais,” Battuello fruit contributed to a Charles Krug wine that won the 1948 World’s Fair in Belgium—a field blend shaped with early guidance from Mondavi and Gallo, where each varietal played a role in color, structure, and flavor. That spirit carries forward today in vibrant, expressive wines, with Andrew Lane Winery earning national acclaim for its bottlings of Battuello fruit, including features in Gourmet and Food & Wine.

On our Water to Wine Tour, we paddle across the very soils those floods carried—soils that helped shape the estuary—connecting the movement of the river to the wine in your glass.

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