Our Howell Mountain Vineyard
Our Howell Mountain property began with a vision. From the moment Mike Davis stepped onto the land, he knew he had found something truly special. He spent the next ten years cultivating this dream into reality, from the initial purchase of the land to harvesting Davis Estates’ first crop in 2024. His eldest son, Brandon Davis, is dedicating a new wine called “Visionary” in honor of his dad, crafted solely with the fruits of our Howell Mountain vineyard.
Perhaps the most breathtaking of our vineyards, our Howell Mountain vineyard rests high above the valley floor, with vineyard views that will stop you in your tracks. We’re proud to call 20 acres of the mountain’s sun-drenched western facing slopes our own, and we have to confess – tending to this land can often feel more like an escape from the real world than true work.
Home to both Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines, you’ll taste the difference in these exquisite red wines. Beautifully balanced and well-structured with a gorgeous intensity of flavor, there’s nothing like wine from Howell Mountain.
The Fruits of Our Vines
Our Howell Mountain vineyard produces two different types of red wine grapes, both of which are used to craft some of the most world-renowned wines in Napa.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
The Howell Mountain AVA
Long before many of the now-prominent Napa Valley AVAs were established, there was Howell Mountain – the first AVA to be established within the greater Napa Valley AVA. The land was officially declared to be an AVA in 1983, but the history of Howell Mountain winemaking stretches back over another hundred years to the early days of Napa Valley.
Both Howell Mountain and the Howell Mountain AVA were named after the Isaac Howell family, some of the area’s earliest settlers who first called the land home in 1846. Prior to this, the land was known as “Sierras de Suscol” or “Suscol Hills” by the Spanish.
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In 1841, General Mariano Vallejo gave the land to Dr. Edward Turner Bale as a part of the Rancho Carne land grant, which was bestowed upon Bale for his military service. After Bale’s death, his family began to sell off portions of the land – which is how the Howells came to settle there.
The first grapevines were planted on Howell Mountain in the late 1870s by Jean Adolph Brun and Jean V. Chaix, who planted 20 acres of Bordeaux vines. The crops were a success, and the two men founded some of the first Howell Mountain wineries, along with other giants of the early Napa wine industry such as Charles Krug, J. Thomas, and George McMee.
Brun and Chaix continued to make a name for Howell Mountain winemaking, winning a bronze medal at the Paris World Competition in 1889 and truly putting Howell Mountain on the map. Though the fame was short-lived due to the phylloxera outbreak soon after and the standstill of Prohibition, winemaking would come back to the area in the 1960s, the land getting its purpose back once more.
Today, the Howell Mountain appellation is known as one of the finest in California. It was the first mountainous nested appellation to be established, and its unique terrain continues to yield exceptional grapes for our winemakers.
Vineyard Climate
Howell Mountain boasts one of the most unique climates of the Napa Valley wine appellations. Though mountainous, the Howell Mountain AVA is located in a bit of a plateau, making it easier for our winemakers to grow and cultivate crops than in other mountain regions – while still maintaining the unique benefits of mountain growing.
The days are cool on Howell Mountain, with long afternoon sun exposure that leaves the nights warmer than some of our other Davis Estates vineyards. It’s located directly above the fogline on the valley’s eastern side, ranging from 1,400 t0 2,600 feet elevation. This boundary line was initially drawn because it was thought that grapes grown above the fogline would be distinct from those grown below it – and we continue to see positive proof of this year after year.
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Rainfall is relatively high in the Howell Mountain AVA, reaching up to 50 inches each year. Still, it’s warmer and drier than many AVAs due to the extra afternoon sunlight it receives.
The soil is predominantly porous decomposed volcanic ash soils and iron-rich red clay, yielding high drainage and low fertility. It takes the work of an expert grower to cultivate the Howell Mountain soils, but when done properly, the results are glorious – and our team is up to the challenge. Grapes grown in the Howell Mountain AVA are dark and deep, with a gorgeous earthy influence. And while both red and white grapes can be grown on Howell Mountain, at Davis Estates, we stick to red wine grapes as we love the rich, complex flavors that the mountain brings out.
Our Howell Mountain wines have a beautiful balance, structure, and intensity that we can’t get enough of – and that we’re proud to share.
