Canard Vineyard

Canard Vineyard has been producing wine commercially in Napa Valley since 1984. Today 22 acres of vines are planted on the 25-acre property located just south of Calistoga. Rich and Carolyn Czapleski are only the properties’ 4th owners since the original owner acquired the land from a General Vallejo land grant (Rancho Carne Humana – a nearly 18,000-acre parcel of land owned by Edward Bale that ran roughly from Tubbs Lane north of Calistoga down to Galleron Lane in Rutherford). This is a very historic site for many reasons. The house on site was built in 1859 by Reason Penelope Tucker who first came to Napa Valley in 1846; for perspective that was only 10 years after George Yount, the first western settler permanently settled in Napa Valley. And the real estate agent that sold the house to Rich and Carolyn was the husband of one of Tucker’s great great great granddaughters.

Tucker was known for organizing the first rescue efforts of the Donner Party trapped in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter of 1846/1847 having arrived at cabins in mid-February 1847 where the stranded had holed up near Donner Lake including a number of individuals who had already died from the cold and lack of food. He later participated in additional rescues. Tucker also owned land in what is now the nearby Bothe State Park (previously called Paradise Park); he sold a single acre in 1853 to the Methodists – where a small Methodist church was soon built (the first church built in all of Napa County; the church is long gone, only a historical marker notes its original location). Much later, Paradise Park was sold to the state of California in 1960 by the Bothe family; the state proceeded to demolish the restaurant that was on site, and they sold off all the interior furnishings.

Tucker was involved in a number of business dealings including purchasing and selling lots in the fairly new city of Napa and along with his son John, were the first stockholders of the Phoenix Quicksilver Mine in Aetna Springs, Pope Valley (Napa County’s first cinnabar mine) and was part owner of Sam Brannan’s Lodge in Calistoga. This mine was found in 1861 when a hunter, John Newman was out on the slopes and came across rocks containing cinnabar ore (a historical plaque currently marks the site).

Reason eventually left Napa Valley after a lawsuit took away all his lands in a claim questioning rightful ownership of land dating back to the Bale’s land grant. He moved to Goleta Valley near Santa Barbara where he died in 1888 at age 82. He is buried in the Goleta cemetery located directly next to the 101 freeway. The gravesite is a short walk from the tiny parking lot; two inscriptions on the marble grave marker are noteworthy – mention of his Donner Party rescue “one of the rescuers of the Donner Party” and one referring to his character, “a candid, honest and worthy man.”

Tucker was not the only early Napa Valley pioneers to later in life move to Goleta. Florentine Kellogg and his family moved to Napa Valley in the fall of 1846 and planted some of the valley’s first vineyards in 1848. He owned some 600 acres north of St. Helena. He moved to Goleta in 1872, built the first church (Methodist) in that town and lived on site of what is now Jonny Wallis Neighborhood Park. South Kellog Avenue, which runs in front of that park, is named in his honor. Both Tucker and Kellogg are buried within less than 100 feet of each other.

The popular Tucker’s Grove Park just north of Santa Barbara is named after Reason (even though he and his family never developed the land). What is remarkable is that we had already visited and written about this park on our Santa Barbara article on our travel website, but we never made the connection at that time, to Napa Valley.

And Tucker Farm Center, dating from 1920 (a short drive from Canard Vineyard) is named after Reason. This center serves the local farming community as a resource for events, arts and community gatherings. We have also seen references in old newspapers to the “Tucker District”, referring to this part of Napa Valley – generally between Calistoga and St. Helena.

Those interested in reading more about Reason P Tucker can do so; in the Gleanings issue of March 1989, the Napa County Historical Society published, Reason P. Tucker: The Quiet Pioneer, written by Barbara Neelands.

Reason P. Tucker’s gravesite, Goleta Cemetery

Florentine Kellogg grave, Goleta Cemetery

Tucker’s Grove Park/San Antonio Park, Santa Barbara

Reason P. Tucker related spaces; Calistoga & Vicinity

Tucker Farm Center

Reason P Tucker exhibit, Sharpsteen Museum
This exhibit ran from late 2023 through March 2024. The Czapleskis held a fundraiser at their home in May of 2023 and raised $6,000 for the Sharpsteen Museum. Several of Tuckers relatives were in attendance.

The Czapleskis purchased this north valley location in 1983 after looking for property close to the San Francisco Bay Area where they could ‘get away’ and be in a rural location. Besides using some of the fruit for their own wines, they continue to sell some of their grapes. Old vine Zinfandel was the only wine they made for a number of years until later branching out into several blends, Cabernet Sauvignon and small productions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. A tiny bit of Malbec is also planted on the property.

The name Canard refers to “duck” as well as Rich’s “middle” name. And its nomenclatural origins date back to when Rich was riding a horse and a friend noted that the outline of him sitting on the animal looked somewhat like a duck.

The reason they produce Zinfandel is a direct influence of Napa Valley wine pioneers Robert Mondavi and Joseph Phelps. After purchasing the property Rich hired a vineyard manager who then recommended he remove the old vine Zinfandel growing on the property in favor of a newer higher yielding, more economically viable variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich pondered this over and within the first week both Mr. Mondavi and Mr. Phelps had called urging him to preserve this part of the valley’s vineyard history and keep the vines in place. Needless to say, Rich kept the vines and today they range in age from 75 to 150+ years old.

As a result, this is an extremely rare and historic vineyard. It is one of the two oldest currently commercially producing vineyards in Napa Valley. There is only one other commercially producing vineyard in Napa Valley with vines dating from the 1880s. That is the old Crane Ranch in St. Helena (now The Crane Assembly) containing a mix of various old vine red varieties, although Canard Vineyard has many more of their original vines still living than Crane Assembly Vineyard.

You don’t see vines like these much in Napa anymore; they are all head trained – gnarly looking vines if you will which have been weathered by time yet are still resilient and producing fruit, albeit in small quantities. The vines produce merely between 1 to 2 tons per acre. They are dry farmed; the ground is tilled in the spring and enough moisture remains within the soil for the vines to survive the dry months throughout the summer and into the fall. During fairly unusual heat spikes where the much newer non-Zinfandel vines were stressed to the point of leaves wilting, the old Zinfandel vines show no visible stressing at all. Longtime winemaker Brian Graham told us these are the only vines he works with that are so balanced after all these years – he can always predict to the day when the fruit is ready to be harvested.

The vineyards are all sustainably farmed. The same vineyard manager has been employed for many years and Rich is also involved in the day-to-day hands-on management of the vineyard (we have seen him working among the vines during random drive bys). As he says of his own vineyard involvement and knowledge, “I know enough to be dangerous.”

Select Wines
Cuvée Des Cendres
While the focus of Canard’s production is on their estate wines, over the years they have produced several non-estate wines. One is a Provencal styled rosé of Grenache from a very unique vineyard growing on top of a bluff (limestone soils) with great views overlooking the coastal foothills (Paso Robles).

Their 2020 Cuvée Des Cendres (means, ‘from the ashes’) and was crafted for several reasons; the name refers to the devastating Glass Fire of 2020 which burned through the upper part of Napa Valley destroying both vineyards and physical wineries, and based on the fact that Canard was not able to produce any wines from their estate as the nearby winery they were producing their wines at suffered major fire damage. A part of the profits from the sales of this wine are donated to the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund. The 2020 vintage is pinkish orange in the glass with minerality and citrus aromas and is slightly sweet on the palate (if we were to guess maybe 2 to 3% residual sugar) but this sweetness is balanced nicely by the acidity. It lingers with a pleasant tartness. This bottling is definitely a crowd pleaser!

Petit Verdot
Canard crafts a very limited production of Petit Verdot, primarily to show interested guests who visit the property and a select number of wine club members who are privy to its production.

The 2016 Canard Petit Verdot (100% varietal) is dark ruby in color, nearly opaque at its core, immediately signaling its depth and concentration. The bouquet offers a diverse range of pleasing aromatics, opening with a distinct floral overtone of violets layered over dark cherry and blackberry. As the wine continues to evolve in the glass, it reveals additional complexity, including notes of mocha, chocolate, and a touch of sweet baking spice. The freshness and clarity of the fruit are immediately noticeable, lending lift and vibrancy to what is otherwise a deeply expressive aromatic profile. The palate offers an intensity of flavor, showcasing dark plum and blackberry with a richness that is both bold and well-defined. Despite its power, there is a sense of balance, with the fruit remaining lively rather than heavy. The tannins are a defining feature—long-lasting, with a gravelly, earthy, and slightly dusty texture that provides structure and grip without overwhelming the wine’s core. The finish lingers gracefully, carried by bright acidity that adds energy and precision, along with a subtle note of dried tobacco leaf that enhances its savory edge. This is a beautifully crafted bottling, offering both character and refinement, and well worth seeking out—especially as a companion to cured meats such as salami, where its structure and spice profile truly shine.

Canard produces three bottlings with distinctive but similar looking labels which when lined up in a row presents a triptych image of ducks flying. These wines are Throwback, a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, Adam’s Blend, a Cabernet Franc based blend and Rescuer, a Merlot based blend.

Adam’s Blend
During a blending session with friends and other winemakers at their house, Rich and Carolyn’s son Adam blended his ‘own wine’ for fun. It was met with approval by others in attendance and their winemaker, so it was decided to bottle this as a Canard wine paying homage to Adam’s blending prowess and call it Adam’s Blend. Later this wine was validated at a wine competition in Los Angeles where an early vintage took best of class. This wine is primarily composed of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon with just a touch of Merlot. Like several of their other wines, Adam’s Blend is always produced in very small quantities.

The 2008 Adam’s Blend wine was aged entirely in French oak and was not fined or filtered before being bottled. A hallmark of their wines are the very aromatic bouquets. This wine is no different; the nose reveals a depth of rich fruit aromas. Flavors of black fig, blackberry and black cherry show on the palate. The finish is somewhat dusty, with medium structured tannins as well as lingering hints of chocolate. And those who much maligned the 2011 vintage in Napa Valley would be pleasantly surprised to try the 2011 vintage of Adam’s Blend, some 10 years post vintage date. During our tasting of this wine in 2022, we noted that it had retained its freshness and fruit, both on the bouquet and palate. Only 48 cases of this vintage were produced.

Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2008 Canard Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted from 100% estate-grown fruit, opens with a distinctive bouquet featuring hints of anise layered alongside lingering notes of blackberry and a touch of black pepper. There is an immediate sense of depth and ripeness in the aromatics, with the darker fruit tones carrying a subtle spice-driven complexity that becomes more expressive with time in the glass. On the palate, the wine is rounded and opulent, delivering an intense core of ripe black fruit that feels both generous and enveloping. It carries a richness and weight that give it presence, yet it remains polished rather than overbearing. The texture is smooth, allowing the fruit to take center stage while the underlying structure provides support without intruding. This wine packs a surprising amount of punch for a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, balancing power with approachability. It is produced in relatively small quantities—typically around 800 cases annually. Yet perhaps the most compelling aspect is its value, offering a level of quality and expression that consistently overdelivers for its price point, making it an especially attractive find.

The 2007 Canard Throwback, a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller portions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, opens with an exuberant and highly expressive bouquet. The fruit is so forward and intense that it almost leaps from the glass, revealing layers of ripe plum, dried black fig, and a medley of baking spices. There is an immediacy to the aromatics, yet with a bit of air, more nuanced notes begin to emerge, adding depth to its otherwise fruit-driven profile. The wine surprises with a notably soft and approachable entry, quickly expanding in both texture and complexity. The fruit remains at the forefront, rich and enveloping, while subtle spice and savory undertones begin to weave through the mid-palate. As the wine develops, its structure becomes more apparent, culminating in a finish anchored by long, dusty tannins that provide both grip and persistence. This interplay between its generous fruit, evolving complexity, and structured finish makes for a compelling and well-balanced expression of this blend.

Their most premium offering is Alluvia, a 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon harvested from individual rows located on the northeast block of the property. For years Rich noticed their best Cabernet Sauvignon came from this particular part of the property. In 2019 a geologist took soil samples from select locations around their vineyard and validated what they already knew, the soils in that particular block were particularly special.

Zinfandel
Their Zinfandel was originally made by Joel Petersen for many years; Joel founded Ravenswood Winery in neighboring Sonoma County (incidentally, the property that is now owned by Angelina Mondavi). Rich remembers that when Joel started making their Zinfandel, Ravenswood was only producing about 6000 cases of wine annually (wine production at Ravenswood eventually grew up to around 100,000 cases). Canard harvests the Zinfandel several times and they do not “cherry pick” the fruit – rather they pick both the extra ripe grapes as well as grapes that are still slightly under ripe.

Arguably Canard’s most coveted and sought after wine is their Reserve Zinfandel, a wine that sees very limited production and only uses grapes from the oldest Zinfandel wines on the property. There is no other wine in Napa Valley that can tell a story as old as the vines producing the grapes for this bottling; stylistically this wine and their other Zinfandel are made like a Cabernet Sauvignon and not in a style often associated with California Zinfandel which tends to be jammy and over ripe. The Reserve Zinfandel is a more robust offering than their primary Zinfandel and offers more influence of oak and tannic structure.

The 2019 Canard Reserve Zinfandel is medium to dark ruby in color; the bouquet offers a pleasing union of both primary and secondary characteristics including blackberry and dark cherry along with mocha, milk chocolate, Graham cracker, Ginger snaps and espresso. Simply put, the aromas smell like dessert. The palate offers intense flavors without any over ripeness that California warm-weather wines from this variety often display. Higher toned fruit flavors combined with a burst of acidity immediately creates a lifted and mouthwatering sensation across the palate. This wine is lively and energetic and shows flavors of red cherry, currant and red plum. The finish lingers savory including with its red-fruited tartness, darker spices and dusty, gravelly and long-lasting tannins. This wine has loads of life ahead of it (we tasted merely 3 years post vintage).

It is rather intriguing to notice the dramatic differences between Canard’s 2007 and the 2008 Zinfandel vintages.

The 2007 Canard Zinfandel is a fairly weighty and richly styled expression of the variety, showing both depth and intensity on the bouquet and the palate. The nose is immediately generous, offering an abundance of spice—particularly black pepper—woven into ripe, dominant black fruit aromas that suggest blackberry and dark plum. With time in the glass, a subtle hint of cocoa and warm baking spices begins to emerge, adding further dimension. The wine shows smooth on the entry, almost deceptively soft at first, before quickly unfolding into a wave of concentrated fruit flavors. Notes of black cherry carry prominently across the mid-palate, accompanied by a perceived sweetness that enhances its richness without overwhelming the overall balance. The finish is long and lingering, marked by a combination of dark fruit, touches of chocolate, and a noticeable warmth from the alcohol that underscores the wine’s full-bodied nature. Despite its power, the wine maintains a sense of cohesion, making it both bold and approachable for those who appreciate a more opulent style of Zinfandel.

The 2008 Canard Zinfandel is one of those wines that truly earns the description “beautiful.” In stark contrast to the 2007 vintage, this bottling immediately distinguishes itself through both its appearance and overall profile. It is lighter in color, with a more translucent ruby hue, signaling a more restrained and nuanced style. Despite its relative youth at the time of tasting, it already shows a greater sense of balance and composure. The aromatics are more subtle and lifted, offering notes of baking spices alongside higher-toned red fruits such as cranberry and raspberry. There is a freshness to the bouquet that feels vibrant and inviting, with the fruit presented in a more delicate and precise manner rather than overtly ripe or dense. On the palate, the wine is rounded and harmonious, with a smooth texture that carries its red fruit character gracefully across the mid-palate. The structure is moderate and well integrated, providing enough backbone without overshadowing the wine’s elegance. The finish is clean and composed, leaving a lingering impression of spice and bright fruit.

Of the two vintages, this is clearly the more versatile and food-friendly wine, offering a balance and subtlety that allow it to complement a wide range of dishes while still standing confidently on its own.

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The wines are distributed in about 10 states and generally have very limited distribution in Napa Valley. As a result, the wines are sold primarily through their website and from highly personalized visits for serious wine enthusiasts with Rich or their General Manager, Adam Fox. Rich is one of the more personable and hospitable folks you will meet in the valley, and he truly loves a wide range of conversation with fellow wine enthusiasts.

Canard has produced their wines at other wineries ever since their first vintage. However, plans call for building their own small winery on the property; we will update our notes here as this develops.

For more information, to schedule a visit, or to join their wine club, visit: www.canardvineyard.com

The Old Ones