Barnett Vineyards is located off of the narrow windy Spring Mountain Road which connects Napa and Sonoma Counties - about 1.5 miles in. We call this side road located at the Sonoma/Napa County line, the "summit wine road" as it leads to numerous Spring Mountain wineries. It is wineries such as this one where it pays to do your homework if you are trying to get off the "beaten path" in the Napa Valley. Barnett is one of furthest in wineries on this road - the road keeps forking and look for their sign and address at each of the forks. Punch in the office number on the gate keypad once you get close to the actual winery. Groups are limited to no more than 8 as the tastings are meant to be intimate. A tasting will begin in their barrel room and weather permitting will meander up to their observation deck. This winery definitely has one of the best views on Spring Mountain especially from the aforementioned deck on top of the hill at about 2,000 feet. You look straight across at Mt. St. Helena - peer right down into the northern Napa Valley floor and look all the way across the valley to the other ridge tops including Howell Mountain. It took almost 2 years to clear and plant the vineyards despite having planted only 7 acres to vine. You will see why it took so long when you visit - steep rugged hillsides dominate and are covered with thick brush. In addition, it is clearly evident when you walk up to the observation deck, just how rocky the soils are!
This is a small estate winery (founded in 1983 by Hal & Fiona Barnett) located on very steep hillsides with slopes up to 35%! Their original intent was never to build a winery but rather to have a weekend private getaway location from San Francisco. For a fairly small production they make a wide variety of wines - as of our latest visit, 11 different wines are made here. They are strong believers in unique terroir sites and will source fruit from a variety of locations (not necessarily within Napa) based on where specific varietals grow best. Their 2006 Chardonnay is sourced from Anderson Valley in northern Mendocino County. This wine is all about the balance - not one aspect dominates. The bouquet is very aromatic and somewhat floral - the mouth feel is smooth and rounded with some minerality and toasted almond nuances. The 2006 Pinot Noir is sourced from the same vineyard as the Chardonnay and has some nice raspberry notes interwoven with various spices. It is a softer style Pinot with less tannic structure than some Pinots you will find.
Their Merlot is delicious - alas it was sold out during one of our later visits, fortunately we still have one aging in our cellar! It is noteworthy as it exhibits slightly different flavors and spices then most Merlots grown in the actual Napa Valley floor. It almost has a few characteristics that you often find in a Napa Cabernet. Barnett also produces several Cabernet Sauvignons including their much coveted Rattlesnake Hill and also a Spring Mountain District and a vineyard designate Cabernet Sauvignon called Cyrus Ryan. These wines will age extremely well. Due to its popularity the Rattlesnake Hill can be sold out and you often will try a barrel sample of this wine. The 2005 Cyrus Ryan is a big rich wine with notes of chocolate, and mocha on the nose intermingled in with ripe fruit aromas. The finish goes on and on! When the weather is warm and you have clear skies, it doesn't get much better than this - sipping hand crafted wine and being treated to spectacular views in a casual yet intimate setting. We have been here several times and the wines coupled with the intimate tasting experience especially from their overview deck is hard to beat! Caves have been drilled through the mountain (err rock!) and will be functional for the 2008 harvest. Visit: www.barnettvineyards.com
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Open to Public: No
Appointments: Yes
Regular Tours: No
Hours: 10-4pm
Phone: 963-7075
Address: 4070 Spring Mountain Road
 Winery Photos Winery Website
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