Fairchild Estate Wines

Fairchild Estate Wines
PO Box 807
St. Helena, California
USA 94574
Phone: (866) 725-7503
http://www.fairchildwines.com/

Contact: Jim Barbour
Email: [email protected]

The Fairchild Estate Vineyard rests on steep, gravelly slopes high above Napa Valley, where it enjoys a superb climate with sunny days cooled by the evening breezes that arise from Lake Hennessey. The vineyard's rugged terrain and lean soils produce fruit with powerful flavors.

The vineyard site, sharing proximity to Lake Hennessey with eminent neighbors like Colgin Cellars, Chappellet, Kuleto Estate and Bryant Family Vineyards, produces wines with intensity, nuance and finesse, qualities that truly distinguish the great wines.

Under the expert care of consulting winemaker Paul Hobbs, our hand-farmed vines are thinned throughout the growing season to maximize flavor development and concentration in the grapes. Harvest is delayed until late in the season when full ripeness is achieved. From tending and pruning the vines to the care of our barrel cellars, each step is meticulously performed to preserve the character of the fruit, resulting in a rich, finely nuanced expression of terroir.

Few California winemakers have achieved the distinction of Paul Hobbs, a "farm boy" from upstate New York who has practiced and refined his craft for more than twenty years. As Paul tells the story, his passion for wine began the day his father brought home a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem, serving small tastes of the elegant wine in Dixie cups. The experience inspired Paul to ask his father to replant a section of the family's apple orchard with grapes. His father agreed and put Paul in charge of the endeavor, thus encouraging an interest that would become a vocation.

To begin his formal winemaking education, Paul enrolled in the Master of Food Science program in the Department of Enology at the University of California at Davis. Upon completion, he took a job at Robert Mondavi Winery where he was assigned to the Opus One team and in 1981, was appointed Head Enologist. In 1985, Paul joined Simi Winery as Assistant Winemaker and four years later became Vice-President/Winemaker. That same year, Paul met Nicolas Catena, who invited him to take charge of authoring Argentina's first great chardonnay. Paul accepted the challenge. He also began to consult for a limited selection of premium California wineries including Peter Michael, Vine Cliff and Chalone.

Winemaker: Paul Hobbs

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