Meet the Upstart Winery Making Some of Napa’s Best Cabernet Sauvignon

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On a 4.2-acre site perched on volcanic hillsides above the morning mist, High Ranch Vineyard enjoys intense sunshine that produces early-ripening and deeply expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. The property overlooks the famous Kongsgaard “The Judge” vineyard and similarly prized terroir, but its grandeur is being dwarfed by the grapes grown from the site. With his 2021 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon, superstar Sam Kaplan has produced a stunning debut release for the upstart winery, providing the perfect blend of vineyard sourcing and winemaking talent.

Before acquiring the 42-acre property in 2006, High Ranch owners Sean and Connie Gutterson lived in the area for 12 years and knew its history with the Kongsgaard-Streblow family, who first established it as a cattle and horse ranch in the 1920s and planted grapes in the 70s. “We were drawn to its rugged beauty: the rolling hills, the way the sunlight caught the ridgelines, and the quiet, magnetic presence of the landscape,” Connie says. Kaplan was blown away by the vineyard’s potential before the Gittersens asked him to map it out and plant it. “I was trying to find new virgin sites for Vida Valiente, so when the opportunity came up to work with Sean and Connie and I was also able to help with the layout of High Ranch, it really felt like the stars aligned,” he says.

While a vineyard this size can produce more than one and a half times the amount of wine produced by the two brands (Gutter Sense also sells grapes to Drumright and Kaplan for Vida Valiente’s High Ranch Bottling), the couple wanted to keep the project very small, focused. “Every step over the past 15 years has been about establishing and nurturing the vineyard to realize its full potential for release and future vintages,” says Sean. “In fact, we often drop the fruit to increase the intensity of the flavor. With this philosophy, our production will be very limited.”

High Ranch Vineyard is located on a hillside overlooking the Napa Valley and Combsville AVA. With a 15 percent slope and soil consisting of soft rock and very rocky loam, the soil is low in organic matter and very well drained. “The loose structure is ideal for the deep roots of the vines, two elements that are critical to a truly exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon,” says Kaplan. Before planting, the winemaker walked the hillsides, which are exposed to the elements from dawn to dusk, with viticulturist Mike Wolfe, dividing it into three blocks planted with different Cabernet Sauvignon clones and rootstocks. “I like to think of vineyard planting as matchmaking, because perfect harmony in one site is not ideal in another, often even when the sites are geographically close enough,” he says. And while Königsgaard’s proximity to the vineyard may have inspired the team to plant Chardonnay, Kaplan believed the site was better for Cabernet.

The wine is made at Arkinstone, which produces its own wine and serves as a custom crushing facility for small producers in the eyes of Kaplan, who works with many vineyards in Napa Valley. Despite or because of drought-like conditions in 2021, it was considered an excellent vintage throughout the region. “What we saw at High Ranch was an increase in phenolics and excellent color that led to an expressive Cabernet Sauvignon containing the necessary elements to age and develop beautifully over time,” says Kaplan. Each block was harvested and fermented separately and aged in nearly 100 percent new French oak. The first real harvest from High Ranch brought high expectations to the winery, but “initial aromas and texture were extremely promising.” Using a combination of pumpovers and punchdowns throughout fermentation for the final extraction, he says he already knew the wine would be “extremely delicious and of very high quality”.

“With everything Napa Valley has produced over the past 32-plus years, I realize what the ‘taste of the moment’ wines are like, versus those that will stand the test of time. High Ranch is a showstopper: power, grace and balance,” says wine consultant and collector Mark S. Pope, who in Bountine Wunter Sp99. Founded Napa Hunter. “Like most of the wines that Sam Kaplan makes, this is a wine. Made to be enjoyed a few years after release. If you can keep your pieces away from this temptation of wine, it will last 20 to 30 years. Kaplan himself believes the wine will keep for 30 years, but he believes it will be best enjoyed within five to seven.”

The fact that Kaplan has a long-standing following for his releases is an incredible advantage for an upstart brand. Wine collectors Philip and Mary Risland of San Diego were introduced to High Ranch Vineyard by Hayes Drumwright, who owned two other Kaplan wines, Memento Mori and Vida Valiant. “When we connect with a winemaker’s style, we follow their work closely,” explains Maryam. Rob Report. The location of the vineyard doesn’t hurt either. “High Field also immediately resonated with us because of the history of the vineyard,” he said. “The fact that it was formerly part of the Kongsgaard family holdings added to the meaningful sense of place.” Rieslands added a full 2021 case to its coffee cellar, featuring Harlan, Bond, Promontory, Colgin, Screaming Eagle, Hundred Acre, and Scarecrow.

High Ranch Vineyard 2021 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon has a bouquet of blackberry, cedar, dried thyme and lavender. Flavors of purple plum, blackberry, clove, and cherry pipe tobacco are supported by opulent tannins that slowly settle back into a long, drying finish. If you’re an avid drinker now, we recommend decanting, but you’ll want to make sure you have another bottle to enjoy in a few years.

Do you want access to rare and wonderful reds from Napa Valley? I’m involved. Rob Report 672 Wine Club today.