Bravante Vineyards was founded and is owned by George and Nancy Bravante. The winery is located in the Howell Mountain sub appellation high in the hills above the main part of the Napa Valley – about a 15-minute drive from the town of St. Helena. The Bravante’s have a long history developing real estate and agricultural land; they own and operate Bravante Produce in the small town of Reedley in the south San Joaquin Valley (about a 35-minute drive with no traffic from Fresno) which they founded in 1992.
Bravante Produce has grown significantly over the years; the company farms approximately 3,000 acres of both citrus orchards (Bravante Family Orchards) and other tree fruits including cherries, peaches and plum pluots. In addition, they also supply a number of table grape varieties to market, farmed at the Bravante Vineyards Fowler property. With 14 different varieties; their grapes supply the market for a significant portion of the year – from May through December.
The company also operates their own packing facilities on 12 acres of land next to the Reedley water tower – the majority of the fruit processed here is from their own farms. Some 2 million boxes of product are processed every year. The packing facility includes some 40,000 square feet of storage the site also includes plenty of cold storage.
Their products are distributed around the United States including in Sprouts Markets and in numerous international locations.
And in early 2022, Bravante Produce introduced Bravante Citrus Direct, allowing farm to table’ shipments of their citrus through the Bravante Citrus Direct website. Shipments within the U.S. typically take no more than 3 days.
Upon purchasing their first Howell Mountain property in 1992 (located a short drive past their existing winery and vineyards) they soon planted vineyards to a number of Bordeaux varieties as well as Sauvignon Blanc. Several years later they sold this property and as they were pulling out of the driveway they immediately had seller’s remorse. They knew their neighbors were willing to sell and soon contacted them; a short time later they purchased what is now the home of their winery and one of their vineyards, Stone Ridge Vineyard. This property is approximately 20 acres of which 10 acres are planted to vines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. About a mile north of the winery, off of Keyes Road, is their second property, the Black Oak Vineyard planted with a very rare for Howell Mountain, Sauvignon Blanc (a Musque clone) and several other red varieties.
Both vineyards are at elevation – winery is at about 1,700 feet in elevation and the Black Oak Vineyard is slightly higher.
Their first vintage was in 1995 with the first releases coming in 2000 – a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot. Until their own winery was built, they produced the wines off site, including at Frank Family Vineyards. They tend to hold their wines back a bit longer before releasing them than most wineries, and they focus on producing only wines from estate grown grapes.
Long time Napa Valley resident Duane Dappen was their winemaker from 2000 through the 2020 harvest. Duane worked at a number of notable Napa wineries over the years including Grgich Hills Cellars, Storybook Mountain, Rombauer and Frank Family. In addition, he also ran his own label, D Cubed which focused on Zinfandel. Duane is no longer the winemaker at Bravante Vineyards.
Select Wines
Whites
Sauvignon Blanc
The 2024 Bravante Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Howell Mountain Napa Valley is pale straw in color; if the smells of spring florals could be bottled up and sold as perfume, the bouquet on this wine is the quintessential candidate for such an elixir. We wish it was spring as we taste this, but alas its mid autumn going into the cold clutches of winter. Its aromatic profile is a spirited showing of the typicity of the variety; its scents include citrus blossom, jasmine, kaffir lime leaf, guava, passion fruit, not fully ripe pineapple, lemongrass and lemon verbena. And a thread of chalky minerality. Balanced and vibrant, sans of any bracing acidity, this wine tastes like guava, honeydew melon, passion fruit, lime, lemon and green apple. And it finishes with some herbal but not overtly green notes including of thyme, tarragon and fennel. Its lightly fleshy texture is buoyed high by its bright acidity. Tastes great by itself, but would also be ideal with pan fried fresh chopped artichokes, a bit of sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Shoutout here to our favorite artichoke stand in Castroville, Pezzini Farms.
The 2019 Bravante Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Howell Mountain Napa Valley is pale yellow in color; offers bright aromatics including freshly cut grass, dried straw, lemon zest, citrus blossom and hints of vanilla much deeper into the aromatics. Mouth watering across the palate with flavors of mandarin and red apple. Quite rich and flavorful. Its slightly creamy texture is complemented nicely by its acidity. Shows a very subtle hint of pineapple sweetness on the finish. Very balanced. Should pair well with a variety of curries. The grapes for this wine are grown on a very rocky part of their Black Oak Vineyard.
During our first visit to the property many years ago, we enjoyed a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Musqué from the North Coast. Unfortunately, the big frost that affected many of the northern California vineyards in 2008 also hurt Bravante’s vineyards; they lost their entire Sauvignon Musqué crop.
The 2008 Bravante Vineyards North Coast Sauvignon Blanc certainly helped temper that loss. This wine has a noticeable weight and viscosity. It saw only 1/3 neutral oak during its aging (only 3 months on this oak), contributing some texture without dominating the wine. Pleasant notes of citrus blossom are found on the nose, complemented by additional hints of citrus and tropical fruit. These aromatics are followed by a very rounded mouth feel with lingering and rather concentrated flavors of pineapple and lemon on the finish. There is a pleasing richness across the palate, balanced by enough acidity to keep the wine from becoming heavy. This wine sports a concentrated and rich palate, yet still maintains its liveliness and freshness.
Reds
Rosé
The 2020 Bravante Vineyards Napa Valley Rosé Howell Mountain (made from estate grown Merlot) is salmon color in the glass; smells fresh with aromas of zesty citrus, freshly cut lawn, hints of mint, raspberry and Gravenstein apple. Rounded and very flavorful across the palate, shows notes of wild strawberry. Balanced with decent but not sharp acidity. Should pair well with raw or cooked oysters and a variety of shellfish. Or simply drink this wine by itself in the late afternoon by the pool in spring or summer. The wine is produced two ways including whole cluster pressing off the juice and also by saignée, bleeding off the juice from already fermenting wine in tank. The resulting wines are then blended together.
Cabernet Franc
The 2021 Bravante Estate Cabernet Franc is 91% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec. This wine is deep ruby with amaranthine hues on the rim; the bouquet offers a ripe expression sans of any herbal notes often associated with this variety from cooler sites. The nose smells dark plums, black cherries, blackberries and non fruited notes of dark cocoa powder and dark chocolate. On the palate there are flavors of dark cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry and a note of smoked cedar. And a lightness cuts through the dark flavor intensity – this is a vein of bright acidity that keeps this wine balanced and fresh at 5 years post vintage. We enjoy the tension between dark flavors and texture at play here. The tannins are soft spoken, rounded and almost creamy – lingering with a gentle and lightly dusty tug in tandem with the fruit on the finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2021 Bravante Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby, opaque and sports an amaranthine rim. Color extraction was not a problem with this bottling. Brooding, moody and dark, the bouquet offers plenty of initial character not often associated with contemporary Napa Valley wines from this variety. It needs time in the glass for the fruit notes to become more expressive. And they will. And they will dominate. Its aromas are dark fruited including of Satsuma plum, ripe blackberry, a scent that reminds us of wandering through thickets in mid summer harvesting these juicy berries, dark cherry, boysenberry, dark mulberry, pipe tobacco and old cedar box. For its listed 15.0% ABV, the palate is surprisingly bright; ripe but not jammy this wine tastes like blackberry, boysenberry, dark plum and dark cherry. The gravelly textured and dusty tannins parallel the fruit in tandem on the extended finish with their moderate to firm grip. This wine shows well four years post vintage, but has plenty of depth, brightness and texture to ensure a long age with the proper cellar care. This bottling can hold up to a well marbled steak – perhaps a ribeye covered in an assortment of dried herbs on a BBQ.
The 2005 Bravante Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is slightly blended with Cabernet Franc. This is a dark brooding wine that shows enticing aromas of crushed rock and mineralities on the bouquet, along with an appealing earthy and savory character. Notes of cedar, cigar and big black flavors including blackberry and black plum are spread evenly across the palate. There is plenty of depth here, with the darker fruit complemented by hints of spice and an underlying mineral character. The structure is anchored by broad long lingering tannins which persist well beyond the fruit on the finish. For hillside Cabernet Sauvignon this wine only helps validate Howell Mountain’s already excellent reputation. With big structure now and rich fruit, this is a wine that should age and evolve well for many years, with the tannins gradually softening while retaining its depth and character.
Estate Reserve
The 2019 Bravante Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec and 7% Petit Verdot. This wine is deep ruby and opaque pulling a darkness of color from these grapes. Well layered in terms of its aromatics, this wine smells like blackberry jam, boysenberry, dark cherry and dark mulberry. And some floral notes including violets and lilacs. With some barrel notes including of dark chocolate and cinnamon stick. A mouthful of dark fruited deliciousness including flavors of dark cherry, blackberry jam, boysenberry spread, Satsuma plum and dark mulberry. The ripeness here is balanced with a balanced and lively acidity. This acid keeps the finish fresh and mouth watering. The tannins are ripe, resolved and rounded at 7 years post vintage. Their texture lingers with a moderate grip that persists with a dusty and drying character.
Stone Ridge
The 2019 Bravante Stone Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal. This was the inaugural vintage of this wine and is named after the street that leads to the winery. This bottling is deep ruby and opaque; layered in terms of both dark fruit and barrel influence this wine smells like dark chocolate, dark cocoa powder, cinnamon stick, blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry and dark mulberry. As the wine breathes, it reveals a layer of smoked cedar. This wine is in harmony and showing in a sweet spot at 7 years post vintage. On the palate, this wine tastes some fruit maturity based on its age, with dark fruited flavors of plum, blackberry, cherry, boysenberry, blueberry, and mulberry. Features a balanced and comfortable acidity. The gravelly textured tannins persist for some time – felt initially on the front of the palate, but with more time in the mouth, showing across the palate. They linger with the dusty grip.
Trio
The 2021 Bravante Vineyards Trio Red Wine is a blend of 54% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot. This wine is medium to deep ruby in color; darker fruited with savory and dark spicy tinges in the aromatic profile, this wine smells like Satsuma plum, dark cherry, blackberry, cedar wood, dark olive, crushed peppercorn and dried herbs. Crowd pleasing across the palate, with a similar spicy influence as found on the bouquet, this wine tastes like dark plum, boysenberry, dark cherry, blueberry and plenty of spice and savory notes expressed on the finish including dried bay leaf, smoked sage, smoked cedar, toast, a woodsy character, cured meats and crushed peppercorn. The tannins are well tumbled with a light to moderate dusty grip. Can feel a light warmth of alcohol, deep on the back of the palate. We would be comfortable pairing this wine with pizza, pasta or lighter style meats and a BBQ.
The 2019 Bravante Vineyards Trio Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This wine is deep ruby and opaque; highly aromatic, the bouquet is filled with forward and sweetly fruited ripeness. These scents include blackberry pie, boysenberry jam, dark raspberry, baked plums, dark cherry with plenty of accompany barrel, but not oaky influences. These secondary scents are of dark chocolate, mocha, espresso, cocoa powder and a sweet tobacco spice. For reference, we needled and nosed this bottling 6 years post vintage. Balanced and perhaps a bit brighter on the palate than the bouquet would imply, this wine tastes like blackberry, dark raspberry, boysenberry, Persian mulberry and dark cherry. The tannins are seamlessly integrated into the finish, gentle their texture lingers with a creamy, light gravelly and dusty character felt more on the front of the palate than the back. Finishes dark fruited and bright. At this age, this is an easy drinking and balanced expression of these three varieties. Pair with a lighter cut of beef, perhaps an eye of round steak.
Cabernet Franc
The 2016 Bravante Vineyards Cabernet Franc is deep ruby in color; shows a riper but not overripe bouquet filled to the brim with loads of fruit including blackberry, boysenberry and blueberry. But there is more that shows aromatically including mocha, brown chocolate, old cedar box, cardamom and a darker spice nuance. As it opens further shows a hint of wintergreen. But it’s the fruit that dominates the bouquet. Offers red and darker berry fruits on the palate with flavors of cherry and blueberry. The tannins are supple and refined, lingering softly along with a darker spice nuance and a hint of cedar. Juicy. Good acidity. Spent 22 months in French oak – only 78 cases produced.
Merlot
The 2019 Bravante Vineyards Merlot was tasted 7 years post vintage. This wine is blended with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. Shows plenty of primary fruit at this age and should continue to express this for at least several more years. The bouquet is ripe but elegant with aromas of rose petals, cherry, boysenberry and Santa Rosa plum. A light thread of spiciness is playing with all the fruit including a light red chili layer. Superbly balanced across the palate, all attributes of this bottling are seamlessly integrated. It tastes like red cherry, red plums, currant, red mulberry and boysenberry. Bright, expressive and still showing freshness. The tannins are mountain-esque, very much present and showing a persistent drying and dusty grip, more so than many Napa Valley wines from this variety. Lingers with a subtle note of dried tobacco leaf. This is the ideal Merlot for Cabernet Sauvignon enthusiasts.
The 2006 Bravante Vineyards Merlot is a dark wine with big aromas including chocolate, blackberry and hints of sage, along with additional darker spice and earthy nuances. The wine is very concentrated, especially on the mid palate, with plenty of depth and richness of fruit. Flavors of blackberry, dark plum and other darker fruits are complemented by its savory characteristics. The finish shows dusty expressive tannins which are broadly distributed and linger for some time; this helps maintain a very balanced structure despite the wine’s overall power and concentration. Their Merlot has long garnered attention and is arguably the wine they are most known for. This is not a delicate Merlot by any means. Rather it’s a robust mountain grown wine that expresses rich dark mountain grown fruit and closer resembles a Cabernet Sauvignon than a typical Napa Valley Merlot.
Simpatico
The Simpatico was a red blend made every year for what was Auction Napa Valley; small quantities were released to wine club members. This wine is no longer made.
The 2005 Bravante Vineyards Simpatico reveals its complexity the moment it is poured, showcasing an intriguing bouquet of white pepper, vibrant blueberry, and the comforting scent of warm cherry pie. As the wine is allowed to breathe and open up in the glass, it begins to reveal deeper, more indulgent aromas of mocha and dark cocoa. This wine is notably dynamic, offering a wealth of flavor that unfolds in distinct layers, evolving steadily across the palate and into an extended finish. Their is a seamless transition from the initial burst of fruit to the lingering, spice-driven aftertaste.
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After a number of years of custom crushing their grapes at other local wineries, they built their own winery next to their vineyards; this was completed just prior to the 2009 harvest. The winery is small but very functional with a number of tiny tanks corresponding to individual vineyard blocks. A small wine cave provides enough room for several vintages.
Visits are by appointment only and are held in the second of the two caves on site – a tiny hospitality cave setup for hosting visitors including tastings held at the tiny bar or the table on site. Visits are highly personalized. Allow at least 25 minutes to drive up to the winery from the town of St. Helena and be sure to get directions ahead of time as this is a winery located well off the beaten path.
Production is usually around 2,000 cases annually selling direct to consumer but also through select national distribution. Much of their distribution is through restaurants. In addition, you can find the wines locally sometimes at Sunshine Market in St. Helena.
For a limited production Howell Mountain based winery their pricing is very reasonable. And unlike a number of small producers, Bravante Vineyards holds limited amounts of wine back each vintage and makes available some of these library wines for sale on their website and through in person visits. For more information, to schedule a visit to the winery or to join the Simpatico Society offering two wine club options, Vintners and Stone Ridge, visit: www.bravantevineyards.com
Lido Tasting Room, Newport Beach
This tiny tasting room is located in Newport Beach next to Balboa Peninsula and is surrounded by the Newport Harbor Shipyard which houses a diversity of sailboats and yachts due to its proximity to the nearby waterways. We have been to Newport Beach many times over the years and to a lesser extent, Balboa Island. A quintessential Balboa Peninsula experience is mid-morning sometime in Spring, after the fog clears, enjoying the fresh smell of saltwater while leisurely walking in the warm sunshine.
The tasting room is located directly across from Sabatino’s Sausage Company (indoor and outdoor dining). In a nod to wine heritage, a small vine grows directly outside the tasting room and seems to be doing quite well in this maritime climate.
A parking attendant may be stationed on Lido Park Drive to verify the reason for visiting (since there are a number of private neighborhoods nearby). Parking is off of Shipyard Way or is metered on Lido Park Drive (with a short walk needed to the tasting room). Offers limited open by walk-in hours with reservations needed for all other times.
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