Ristow Estate

Ristow Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is grown exclusively in the Quinta de Pedras Vineyard located on the Silverado Trail, just south of Stags Leap District in the Napa Valley. The eighteen acre vineyard lies on a gently sloping, south-facing hillside and is planted solely to Cabernet Sauvignon. Each year only a small portion of the crop is selected for bottling under the Ristow Estate label, while the remainder of the grapes are sold to neighboring wineries for blending into their premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Brunno & Urannia Ristow purchased the property in 1983 and planted the first vines in 1989. Originally the land was deemed too rocky and difficult to farm, leading Brunno to name the property Quinta de Pedras, meaning "Place of Stones" in his native Portuguese. It took several years and encouragement from neighboring vintner Gene Trefethen, who extolled the virtues of south facing hillside land and rocky terrain as a wonderful combination for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, to convince the Ristows to plant vines. In 1989, the Ristows broke through the rocky terrain, planted ten acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, crossed their fingers and hoped for the best. The young fruit from this first planting proved to be of the highest quality and encouraged the Ristows to purchase and plant a contiguous eight acres into Cabernet Sauvignon. The Ristow Estate has since been surrounded by other notable Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards with Signorello to the West, Shafer's Ridgeback Vineyard to the North and Darioush to the South. The name "Quinta de Pedras" proved to be very appropriate for our vineyard. The vine roots were hitting sheets of bedrock and a portion of the first vineyard was eventually replanted with new clones (337 & 4) which were more appropriate for the rocky terrain. These new vines have become the main source of fruit for Ristow Estate wines and bear delicious and intense fruit, beautifully complementing the fruit from the older sections of the vineyard. The diverse terrains in Quinta de Pedras Vineyard produce fruit with complementary variations of flavors and work together to create a complete representation of the vineyard. The challenges of planting the Quinta de Pedras Vineyard have been worthwhile. We have found that the rocky terrain imparts a distinctive minerality to the dark fruit and lends exotic spice flavors found in each vintage of Ristow Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Early blending trials proved that the addition of other Bordeaux varietals to the Cabernet Sauvignon only detracted from the wine's distinct characteristics, so each vintage consists of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. At Ristow Estate we strive to create a Cabernet Sauvignon that is a true expression of our Quinta de Pedras Vineyard. The grapes are carefully selected and hand harvested with yields of one and a half to three tons per acre, and only the finest sections of the vineyards are chosen for the Ristow Estate label, producing no more than 1,000 cases annually. Ristow Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is created by blending only the best lots of each vintage. The result is a balanced and elegant wine with flavors of black currant, spices and minerals consistent in every vintage we have produced since our first in 1995. The evolution at Ristow Estates now includes the next generation, with daughter Cecilia and son-in-law Wil Harris bringing their marketing and sales expertise into the family project. We have received glowing recognition for our efforts. Wine Spectator has noted that the (Ristow Estate) "Cabernet blend consistently delivers outstanding intensity and balance" and the San Francisco Examiner Magazine noted that (Ristow Estate Cabernet Sauvignon) "is an idyllic marriage of fruit and oak and that elusive quality the French call "terroir." This recognition has been gratifying and only furthers our commitment to create delicious wines that express Quinta de Pedras. The Ristow and Harris families take great pleasure sharing these wines with you.

Napa, United States

5040 Silverado Trail,

(415) 931-5405