Grape Sourcing

Wallis Family Estate sources premium fruit from the Diamond Mountain District and Appellation St. Helena, aiming to showcase the finest qualities of both regions. 

“The Diamond Mountain District is an appellation is in the Northwest corner of the Napa Valley, California. The 5,000 acre appellation has just over 500 acres under vine due to the sloped terrain of the Mayacamas Mountain range. It sits at a higher elevation of 400-2200 feet which reduces the fog impact compared to the Napa Valley floor. The appellation has moderately warm temperatures with lower maximum temperatures and higher minimum temperatures than the valley floor, due to topography and altitude. The soil is reddish in color, fine grained, gritty in nature, and has volcanic origin. Cabernet Sauvignon from the appellation is known to have chewy tannins and higher acidity, which produces a wine that can age well in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon is the diamond grown on the mountain, but Cabernet Franc is also making a name for itself. The Diamond Mountain District AVA was declared a sub appellation of the Napa Valley in 2001 with Schramsberg Vineyards being the oldest winery in the appellation, which started in 1863.” 

“St. Helena’s northern location on the valley floor means that it experiences only occasional morning fogs; this makes for a fairly hot appellation and indeed sometimes St. Helena can be hotter than Calistoga. Because of this, Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena tends to be quite decadent, with higher alcohols due to the warmer temperatures of the region. One exception is the western benchland where some producers such as Spottswoode, Anomaly and Corison are able to make wines in a more elegant style due to the protection afforded by the nearby Mayacamas against the hot afternoon sun. This AVA has an unusual shape, like an hourglass, as it encompasses the narrowest part of the valley. The northern half of the appellation is similar in feel and temperature to Calistoga, while the southern half is kin with Rutherford. The soils vary from gravelly loam in the west to volcanic in the east. The appellation is also unique in that it contains alluvial fans on both sides of the valley.”