The Atlas Peak Advantages

I’ve always had an affinity for mountain-grown wines, so when I received an invitation to a luncheon and tasting organized by the Atlas Peak Appellation Association (APAA), I quickly confirmed my attendance.

Prior to the luncheon last week, I don’t think I had ever tasted a wine from the Atlas Peak AVA. It was an enlightening experience. Approved as an American Viticultural Area in 1992, the region includes Soda Canyon and Foss Valley and ranges in elevation from 760 feet above sea level to the highest point of its namesake (the Atlas Peak itself stands at 2663 feet in elevation). This region is not new to the wine-producing landscape of the Napa Valley; in fact, grapes have been grown here since 1870! Located east of Yountville and above the Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak covers 11,400 acres. Only 1,500 acres have been planted, which is a teeny-tiny number compared to the total vineyard acreage planted in the Napa Valley.

With its diverse micro-climates, treacherous terrain and limited access (there are only two very narrow roads in and out), it can be hard to imagine why anyone would want to develop a vineyard site in Atlas Peak.

When asked this very question, Doug Hill of Hill Family Estate Winery just laughed. As a vineyard manager, grape grower, and vintner, Doug talked about the surplus of challenges involved with growing grapes in Atlas Peak. The soil is thin and extremely rocky. Preventing soil erosion on these steep slopes and irrigating the vines is tricky. Also, all the farming must be done by hand, which is more costly. And yet Doug and other APAA-members saw the potential in this area and agreed that the additional effort required to farm this land has been a worthwhile venture. Fortunately, this region gets a good amount of rainfall and there are natural springs throughout.

Another advantage of this AVA is that it’s above the fog line which allows for long, sunny days and more consistent temperatures than the valley floor. Michael Parmenter of VinRoc Wine Caves explained that the grapes benefit from additional hours of sunlight and the rocky soils stay warm at night so there is a smaller shift in temperature from day to night. The elevation also shields the vines from heat spikes. On Michael’s property, we witnessed how diverse the climes of Atlas Peak can be. Only twenty feet from the front of his house where it was warm and sunny, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped noticeably! For this reason, grapes within the same vineyard—even on the same vine—mature at different speeds, which makes picking at optimal ripeness all the more grueling and time-consuming. The harvest of red grapes in Atlas Peak usually begins the first week of October and takes a full month before completion.

Jan Krupp, the founder of Krupp Brothers and Stagecoach Vineyard, is known as a visionary. When he sold his medical practice in 1998 to pursue his dreams of creating a vineyard to rival that of Chateau Margaux, he was not intimidated by the formidable terroir of Atlas Peak. Jan was captivated with the rich soils and rocky nature of this AVA and he was determined to make world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc here. Due to the adverse growing conditions, vines on Atlas Peak “struggle”, which equates to small yields and tiny berries. These highly concentrated grapes offer superior intensity of color and tannins, as well as a greater potential to age these wines—just the qualities Jan was determined to achieve in his vineyards. He farms the Bordeaux varietals and 13 more varieties in his mountainous vineyards. Under the Krupp Brothers label, he only makes about 7,000 cases of wine but his vineyards are capable of producing as many as 133,000 cases. He sells the surplus fruit to 80 different wineries.

For the luncheon and tasting, we were hosted at Antica Napa Valley by Glenn Salva, who has been the Estate Manager at this property since 1985. Similar to the Krupp Brothers, Antica sells as much as 90% of the fruit they grow in Atlas Peak. Of their total planted acreage, 50% is Cabernet Sauvignon; Chardonnay accounts for 25%; and the Bordeaux varietals and Sangiovese make up the balance. Owned by the Antinori family, Antica was named in 2006; it is the word for ‘ancient’ in Italian and also a blend of the family name and California. Today, this beautiful wine estate boasts breathtaking views; a 10,000-case annual production; and an Italian-trained chef.

The terrace at Antica Napa Valley was the perfect setting to enjoy some stellar wines, which represented a variety of styles. I highly recommend a trip up Soda Canyon Road, just be sure to call before you get there; Antica Napa Valley is by appointment only (as are the rest of the wineries in Atlas Peak). 

For the complete tasting notes of the APAA tasting, please click here. Cheers!