— the domaine —

Greer Vineyard lies in the center of the acclaimed Rutherford Bench, sited adjacent to Inglenook Vineyards, which, together with Beaulieu Vineyards, produced Napa Valley’s (and America’s) first legendary wines. Today, the 3-acre Greer vineyard’s illustrious next-vine and nearby neighbors include Scarecrow, Staglin, Phelps’ Insignia, and the historic Bella Oaks Vineyard.

The vineyard is located within the Rutherford AVA at an optimal midpoint between the eastern slope of the Mayacamas and the valley floor, where an ancient creek bed runs beneath the Bale Clay loam surface. Deep subsurface gravel benches provide ideal drainage conditions. Morning fog and early sunsets create a cooler site that enjoys abundant daytime sun while withstanding Napa Valley summer heat spikes. This unique terroir makes for a late ripening site, producing small berries with lush, rich, and super tight-grained tannins. According to Aaron, there is no other place in Napa Valley where you get tannins with this level of density, softness, and suppleness, laying the groundwork to consistently produce a wine with exceptional aromatics, structure, elegance, and longevity.

The 3-acre vineyard, sustainably farmed by Ilsley Vineyard Management, is planted 100% to Cabernet Sauvignon on 101-14 rootstock with 6 x 4 spacing and is precisely oriented to follow the mid-summer sun’s natural east/west path. The original 2-acre planting was completed in 2005 with one additional acre planted in 2011. Three clones were selected to optimize flavor and complexity—Clone 4 with its characteristic fruity quality, the SEE clone, originally from Chateau Margeaux, providing more savory notes and complex aromatics, and the Weimer clone, originally from Chateau Latour, producing exceptionally dark, lively and bright fruit.