Marston Family Vineyard

Marston Family Vineyard
P.O. Box 668
St. Helena, California
USA 94574
Phone: (707) 963-8490
http://www.marstonfamilyvineyard.com/

Contact: Michael Marston
Email: [email protected]

Our family vineyard is a hidden gem on the most southern slopes of Spring Mountain above the Napa Valley. A cool afternoon breeze passes through the vineyard permitting the fruit to ripen slowly and uniformly. Marston Family Vineyard was first planted in the late 1890’s on the southern slopes of Spring Mountain, just west of St. Helena. The vineyard is part of the appellation known as the Spring Mountain District. The vineyards comprise about 10 percent of the 400 acres of heavily wooded land.

The vines planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. During the growing season, the terraced hillsides, which range in elevation from 700 to 1,100 feet, benefit from cool afternoon breezes and daytime temperatures that are as much as ten degrees cooler than the lower elevations of the Napa Valley. The vineyard is situated above the fog line, resulting in extended hours of sunlight. The additional sunshine coupled with the lower temperatures allow the fruit to ripen more slowly and uniformly, which ultimately enhances the wine’s concentration, complexity and texture. Furthermore, the rocky, mountain soils limit the vigor of the vines. As a consequence the clusters and the individual berries are smaller, which dramatically reduces overall yields. These diminished crop levels intensify the character of the wine. There is an old belief attributed to the French that grape vines are like people in that they need to suffer a little in order to develop character.

We hand cultivate and select our favorite blocks from our estate vineyard to produce a limited amount of our Marston Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon each year. Our 2006 vintage marks our ninth release with our highly acclaimed winemaker, Philippe Melka, and our fortieth year on Spring Mountain!

We invite you to explore Marston Family Vineyard within these pages. From our family history, our vineyard, and our wines, we look forward to sharing Marston Family Vineyard with you.

Winemaker: Philippe Melka

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