“When drinking water, remember the source:” an old Chinese proverb that could apply to wine as easily as water. Located in what used to be St. Helena’s “Chinatown” in the 1920s, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard sits in a small, residential neighborhood on the west side of town, an unassuming site bordered by an old riverbed and a rock quarry. The vineyard was originally planted in 1858 by San Franciscan Dr. George Belden Crane; today it is owned by Andy Beckstoffer, who replanted it to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in 1998. Its soils, primarily bale loam and river wash, are extremely rocky and well-drained, and its warm, valley floor microclimate lends itself to the Bordeaux varietals grown here.

With interesting parallels to Chateau Haut-Brion, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane is undoubtedly one of the finest vineyards in St. Helena, and its wines are unmistakable. “You know it when you smell it,” says Winemaker Benoit Touquette. “Dr. Crane has everything you look for -- minerality, complexity, excellent fruit definition, good tannin structure; a complete wine with many layers.” Realm sources from four blocks in Dr. Crane for a wine that is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6 blended with a small amount of Petit Verdot.

Houyi, the mythical Chinese archer that shot down nine suns. Illustration by Val Littlewood, 2015.

The Majesty of Pritchard Hill

Houyi Vineyard came to our attention in 2013 when we were looking to create a new Single Vineyard Cabernet from Pritchard Hill. Flanking the eastern side of Napa Valley, we knew Pritchard Hill was special, with some of the best-known names in Napa wine. Two winemakers pointed us in Houyi’s direction: Brad Grimes of Abreu Vineyards and Sam Kaplan of Arkenstone, Memento Mori, and Nine Suns. At an elevation of nearly 1300 feet, the vineyard sits above the fog line, its vines soaking in the morning sun. The site – stunningly beautiful – is owned by the Chang family, who bought it in 2010 and nurture it with a no-holds-barred philosophy.

Planted and farmed by David Abreu with a crew dedicated exclusively to the site, Houyi Vineyard’s soils are unimaginably rocky, requiring significant resources to maintain. We have six blocks under contract – all Cabernet Sauvignon – most with a southeastern exposure. Houyi is one of our softer Cabernets, approachable in a way that runs counter to many mountain wines.