Ink Grade

East of Calistoga, Ink Grade stands atop the Vaca Range on the eastern side of Howell Mountain. The high elevation causes daytime temperatures to be cooler and evening temperatures to be slightly warmer than the Napa floor. Planted in 1990, Ink Grade stretches across 200 acres of terraced mountainous terrain. The site, planted to a quad trellis, ekes out between 2 and 2.5 tons per acre. The iron rich red clay and decomposed volcanic ash, are poor in nutrients and have difficulty retaining water. This combination stresses the vines to produce small berries with deeply structured spicy notes and robust tannins. This is one of the more technologically advanced sites, using "stress modules" to determine ripening and enables us to do multiple picks for optimal ripeness.