Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

“Historical records show that a portion of this vineyard was planted in 1895 by Mrs. Thomas Rutherford. This 300-acre parcel first purchased by Beaulieu founder Georges de Latour in 1928 and called Beaulieu Vineyard Number 3, was the home to BV’s Rutherford Cabernets made by the renowned winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. These wines achieved wide acclaim in the 1960’s and 70’s, establishing BV’s pre-eminence in the making of fine Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Purchased by Beckstoffer Vineyards in 1988, the vineyard has since been replanted using new Cabernet Sauvignon clones with tighter spacing and advanced trellising systems, enhancing both quality and grape tonnage. In 2009, 181 acres were placed under a land conservation esement that forever prohibits non-agricultural development. Vineyard Georges III is today home to the main offices of Beckstoffer Vineyards.”

You can find this excerpt and other information on the Besckstoffer Vineyards website at the link bellow.

Beckstoffer Carneros Lake Vineyard

Sage Ridge Vineyard

“Perched high above Lake Hennessey in the Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this mountainous site. Aerial views of this vineyard give an insider’s look to the intricate patchwork of blocks on steep hillsides and terraces. Some vines are so close to the edge, you wonder, how will this survive? And yet, they thrive. A good part of that success is the soil, the dynamic climate, and the meticulous farming at this high-elevation mountain vineyard.

Our soil story endures with the uplifting of ancient shallow seabeds, plate tectonics, and glaciation that continues over millennia with the erosion and transportation of old metamorphic rock created under intense heat and pressure. The present day chapter is set in a unique mixture of well- to excessively-drained sedimentary and metamorphic soils underlain by a bedrock of Franciscan complex. Silty clay loams with varying depths, mixtures of gravels, and fractured rock undulate among the steep slopes. The primary soil classifications are Bresse-Dibble complex, Maymen-Millshom-Lodo association, Shale & Sandstone rock outcrop, and Sobrante loam.

The site’s warmth is tempered by the interior range location with air flow from a variety of directions – Lake Hennessey, Alexander Valley, and the Mayacamas. This translates to lingering days of sun exposure that can quickly turn to blustery afternoons as well as earlier budbreak, an arid environment, and consistent growth. Everything that is a hallmark of quality mountain fruit.”

Information sourced form “https://capravineyards.com/sage-ridge-vineyard/”

How Sarah came across this vineyard will go down deep in the pages of our history here at Sarah Francis Wines. Acquiring the Beckstoffer Carneros Lake Vineyard from Andy Beckstoffer was not expected but proved to be the most pivotal moment in Sarah’s winemaking career. For those of you who do not know, Sarah set out to make wine in the Napa Valley in 2009. When she began to look for grapes to make wine she knew she wanted “Only the best” grapes. That being said, Andy Beckstoffer was the guy to talk to. Sarah set a meeting with Andy in the award winning To-Kalon Vineyard. Sarah requested one barrels worth of grapes from Andy, and his response was far from what Sarah was hoping. He told her that Beckstoffer vineyards does not just sell “barrels” of grapes to anyone. However, in Sarah’s Texas style determination, she was not going to take “no” for an answer. She told Andy that if she was going to make wine, it was only going to be from the best grapes in the world and it would be in a quantity that would only result in exceptional wine. Once again, Andy responded with a “No Ma’am”. At those words, Sarah shed tears of rejection in the middle of the To-Kalon Vineyard. Recognizing Sarah’s Texas spirit, being a Texan himself, Andy told her to get in the truck. He drove her to a Chardonnay Vineyard in the heart of Carneros. It was there he told her; if she could make the best Burgundian style Chardonnay from the Carneros Lake Vineyard; he would award her with the one ton of premium Cabernet. Sarah informed him that she was not interested in making Chardonnay, she only wanted the one barrel of Cabernet. Andy told her that it was her best and only option and she would be smart to take it. Naturally, after some thought, she did, marking the most paramount moment in the history of Sarah Francis Wines.