Napa Valley Vineyards

Our 2017 Vineyard Sources

We selected two vineyard sites within the Napa Valley AVA to work with as we begin Secret Door Winery. Each site brings something different by virtue of its location.

HIRONDELLE VINEYARD

Stags Leap District of Napa Valley

Stags Leap District is the smallest AVA within the Napa Valley. It’s located in the southeast portion of the valley roughly from just north of the City of Napa to the Yountville Crossroad on the extreme eastern flank. It includes some hillside sites but primarily the AVA covers flat or gently rolling territory. The climate here is appreciably cooler than further up valley in either Rutherford or St. Helena. The Hirondelle Vineyard itself is not tiny but the portion dedicated to Secret Door is a small three-acre block planted in 1996 to Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4. It was recently converted to organic farming. Wines produced from the Stags Leap District can be more subtle and smooth focusing more on the aromas and textures rather than all power. It has been a favorite area of Mr. Patz and he is thrilled to be able to work with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from this classic part of the Napa Valley.

SAGE RIDGE VINEYARD

In Napa Valley

This vineyard is perched high on the hills to the east of St. Helena. It was planted in 1998. There is no current sub-appellation and it carries the “Napa Valley” banner proudly. Sage Ridge Vineyard is actually a series of small plots that run along the ridgelines. It offers a lot of diversity both in soil types and it exposures with plots facing in essentially all directions. Sage Ridge Vineyard is owned by Judy Jordan of J Winery fame. She has committed her team to a major renovation and elevation of this site which will be ongoing for several years. We chose on parcel to begin our adventure at Sage Ridge that is approximately 1.2 acres planted to a selection of Cabernet Sauvignon taken from Martha’s Vineyard. The thin soils and hillside location make the vines work hard to survive and create grapes with great density as well as potentially powerful tannin/structure.

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