The Story Barlow Vineyards is a 50 acres estate founded in 1994, located between Calistoga and St. Helena at the upper end of the Napa Valley in an area well known for producing intense red wines. The first year the existing 25 year old Cabernet Sauvignon block was found to be badly diseased and was eliminated, leaving only one smaller block of disease resistant Cabernet Sauvignon which was planted in 1992. An eleven-acre block of Merlot was planted that year in a parcel that had been fallow for many years.
In 1995 our two generation enterprise, Warren and Jeanne and Barr and Ann Smith, replanted the original Cabernet Sauvignon block with phylloxera resistant rootstock and clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon. The same year we added another parcel (4+ acres) of Merlot. Since that time we have planted a block of Zinfandel and a block of clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our entry as a wine producer came about as the result of making a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, which was originally meant for family consumption. The winemaker informed us that the 100% single vineyard fruit had produced an outstanding big bodied, high glycerol wine with marvelous flavors and finish and a great mouth feel. He suggested that we sell the wine instead of using it for family and friends' consumption, which we did. All 25 cases! It was an instant success.
Since 1997 we have made larger quantities of wine exclusively from these lyre-trellised, down-slope vineyards fruit and are approaching our goal of 2000 cases per year. The vineyard has it's own Napa Valley micro-climate, with characteristics of warm days and cool nights plus good wind protection.
