Last week, our Sunday series began by looking at three American Viticultural Areas of Northwest Napa. This week we’re finishing off the northern leg with three more: Howell Mountain, Chiles Valley, and St Helena.

1. Howell Mountain AVA

Howell Mountain, the first Napa Valley sub AVA, was established ’83 (same year as this). It spans a boundary of 14,000 acres, yet because of the steep terrain, only 600 of those are covered with vineyards.

Although intended to be specific to Ink Grade Vineyards, the following video is great for visuals of Howell Mountain as well as some general facts on the AVA…

Howell Mountain:
-High altitude vineyards: 1400-2200 ft (video says 1300-2000)
-Above the fog line, but still generally cooler because of the elevation
-Can be wet but very well drained soils: volcanic & iron rich red clay
-Naturally low yields
-Bordeaux varietals and Zinfandel are most popular.

Wine Spectator’s Video Theater also offers this clip on what makes the mountain vineyards different from those on the valley floor which is worth a watch.

There are over 30 wineries based in Howell Mountain with many other well known producers sourcing fruit from the area as well. The Howell Mountain Vintners & Growers Association displays this map of where the various producers are located. Some notable locals include: Robert Craig, Dunn Vineyards, Black Sears, La Jota, Ladera, O’Shaughnessy. These wines tend to be fairly rare and quite pricey – I’ve only seen one Zinfandel (from Black Sears) under $50 in San Francisco.

While working at Salt Tasting Room, we had a lot of fun hosting an event featuring five of Robert Craig’s wines, which included both a Cabernet and a Zinfandel from Howell Mountain. One thing that struck me about the Zin was how much oregano and dried herb notes dominated the nose – more so than any Zinfandel I’ve tried since. It turns out I wasn’t crazy and this dried herb character (or apparently more specifically dried sage) is a common trait in the reds from Howell Mountain.

2. Chiles Valley AVA

(Image from Volker Eisele Family Estate‘s website)

First off, this region’s name isn’t pronounced like the popular chain restaurant where you might order baby back ribs, but rather “CHY-els” after landowner from the mid 1800s, Joseph Ballinger Chiles. It’s a small narrow valley 8 miles (13km) long by 0.75 miles (1.2km) wide, remotely set into the northeast corner of the Napa Valley’s fringe. Despite the fact that there are less than 10 small resident wineries and a handful more sourcing Chiles Valley fruit, there are still a substantial 1000 acres under vine.

Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc are all supposed to do well here. Local wineries include (and this may be all of them): Brown Estate Winery, Catacula Lake Winery, Eagle & Rose Estate, Green and Red Vineyard, Nichelini Winery, RustRidge Ranch and Winery, and Volker Eisele Family Estate.

Green & Red Vineyards ’07 Zinfandel – Chiles Canyon Vineyards
Being that I hadn’t encountered any wines from Chiles Valley, let alone tasted one, I jumped on the first bottle I found. Green & Red Vineyards was named after two soil components found on the property: red volcanic and green serpentine (and disappointingly, is not owned by Steve Smith).

The Green & Red has a classic Zinfandel nose – intense purple and red berry fruit with subtle baking spice and molasses characters. Weighty and juicy with bright balanced acidity and low+ tannins. More characters of blackberry, raspberry and textured cocoa powder on the palate. I find the long lingering burn of alcohol (all 14.8% of it) hard to ignore and overpowering of any finish the fruit might offer. Overall, the quality is average, but doesn’t particularly evoke any strong emotion either way. $20 at K&L in SF and I wouldn’t imagine this makes its way to Vancouver.

3. St. Helena AVA

(Left photo from Spottswoode’s website, right photo from Appellation St Helena)

St. Helena, which obtained AVA status in ’95, is widely considered to be the heart of quality viticulture in Napa Valley. Over 100 wineries are based here including the valley’s first commercial winery founded by German immigrant Charles Krug in 1861 and later owned by the Mondavi family for 3 generations (I guess now owned by Constellation?). There are roughly 20 varietals grown here, but as with most regions of Napa Valley, the pedestal is reserved for Cabernet Sauvignon and its blends. The Cabs are mentioned to contain characters of dust or unsweetened baking chocolate – which is fairly problematic as Rutherford AVA is even more famous for their “Rutherford dust” quality.

Geographically, St. Helena sits at a narrow gap in the valley with the Mayacamas range to the west and the Vaca to the east. This translates to a higher ratio of land with good soil drainage and sun exposure over the flat and fertile valley floor. The narrow also funnels the cool breezes, giving high diurnal temperatures (important for ripening during the day and preserving acidity at night).

Home to many of Napa’s big names such as Duckhorn, Heitz, Joseph Phelps, Spottswoode, Beringer, and Merryvale. Many of St. Helena’s producers belong to an organization called Appellation St. Helena, which is a good site for more information. They’ve mapped out an area on Google Maps that shows the boundaries and winery locations check it out here.

A Tragedy

Joseph Phelps ’07 Sauvignon Blanc – St Helena
So true story. After browsing the selections of three wine shops for St Helena AVA designated wines (which there are very few of I’ll point out and even fewer below the $90 mark), I found this bottle of Sauvignon Blanc at BevMo. At one point during my climb home to the peak of San Francisco, the bag slipped from my fingers and thudded on the pavement. Dark patches seeped through the paper sleeve as the wine bled out. Most of the damage was to the top of the bottle so I was able to strain and salvage about 1/3 of the wine.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards is well known for their Cabernet and their signature blend Insignia. They own vineyards all over Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast and produce up to 80,000 cases of wine annually. In their words (Spring ’04)… “gradually but steadily we are embracing a style of farming known as ‘biodynamic agriculture’ or simply, ‘biodynamics.’”

The Sauvignon Blanc has a big intense nose – honey, canned pineapple juice, vanilla and a heavy dose of oak backing it all up. A rich, creamy texture with tropical fruit, lime, butterscotch and present acidity throughout. I don’t typically gravitate towards oaky California “Fumé Blanc,” yet I did enjoy the glass and a half I had and no doubt would have finished the bottle. A solid wine if you know what you’re getting into. $25 at Bevmo and it’s sometimes available for $22 at K&L. Here are some of the Joseph Phelps wines available at the BCLDB.

Please feel free to contribute any information, experience or tasting notes you have that relate to Howell Mountain, Chiles Valley, or St Helena below and check back next Sunday for more AVA action.