Winemaking Notes
The continual craft of Winemaker Heidi Barrett
Made by Heidi Barrett
Our wines are made by Heidi Barrett, one of California’s most celebrated winemakers, who has known this site for more than twenty years. Few new estates begin with more than twenty years of a winemaker's memory of the land.
A light touch on purpose
Heidi presses off early and keeps the tannins supple, letting Howell Mountain's natural power come through without forcing it. Where some mountain producers extract hard, we choose restraint, structure, and polish.
Time is an ingredient
The wine is exclusively aged in Taransaud and Radoux French oak barrels and then left to age gracefully in the bottle for years before release.
Honest to the year
We don't smooth every vintage into one house style. For instance, 2022 was made in a heat wave and shows power and generosity; 2023 came from a cooler, more balanced season and shows more silk and elegance.
A wine blended block by block
Our seven acres are a patchwork of distinct parcels. Block 2, with the best slope and sun, gives the dense, structured core, while the higher blocks bring softer, more aromatic fruit.