Behrens Family Winery

Behrens Family Winery (formerly Behrens & Hitchcock) is located on the top of the Spring Mountain District near the Sonoma County line – about a 20 minute drive from the town of St. Helena. The winery is at the end of this district’s infamous “summit wine road” which leads off the very windy Spring Mountain Road. This summit road is also home to a number of other Spring Mountain wineries. Two couples founded the original winery: Les Behrens and Lisa Drinkward and Bob and Lily Hitchcock.

Les and Lisa met in Arcata, California (near the city of Eureka) – married and then started a restaurant in 1991 called Folie Douce. It was through the restaurant that they met future business partners Bob and Lily Hitchcock. Eventually Les decided to make home wine but then soon started making limited quantities of commercial wine from premium grape sources in the Napa Valley. For several years Les made the arduous 8-10 hour round trip drive from Arcata to Napa to pick up the grapes and drive them back to Humboldt County (shout out to Eureka based 101.5 KEKA Thunder Country with its 100,000 watts of broadcasting power) where he made the wine in a garage. Their first crush was in 1993, a mere 175 cases; production moved from their garage to a stand-alone building next to Les and Lisa’s home in Arcata.

Les and Lisa sold Folie Douce Restaurant in 1997 and moved their production to Napa Valley. In 1999 they purchased land high on Spring Mountain and soon after Les and his son Sean constructed a small winery. From the beginning, their model has been to work with premium vineyards (but not actually own their own vines). A 1/2 acre vineyard is located on the property, planted with cuttings from family friend Steve Moulds (died in 2022), of Moulds Family Vineyard in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District. Wine from this small block is produced exclusively for wine club members.

All their wines are produced and bottled at their winery. They source from a variety of Napa Valley vineyards from Calistoga to the southern part of the valley (10+ at the last count) as well as select vineyards from Sonoma County.

Sometimes in certain industries, regardless of background, when someone is passionate about something they often create something just as good as those who were formally trained in a particular field. Such is the case with Les. He was a former grave digger, wood worker, turned construction worker turned restaurant owner, turned vintner. His wines have received exemplary ratings and a loyal following from his customers including from Robert Parker who first wrote about them in the late 1990s (helping expose their wines to numerous collectors).

In 2005 Bob & Lily Hitchcock decided to retire and Les and Lisa bought out their share of the winery and changed their name to Behrens Family Winery. The first vintage of Behrens and Hitchcock was in 1993. The last vintage bottled under the Behrens and Hitchcock label was a 20-year anniversary red blend from 2013.

Wine making here involves both family and friends; several other labels have been made at the winery over the years (or are still made at the winery) including Drinkward-Peschon (a partnership between Lisa and winemaker Françoise Peschon), Robert Nenow, Relic Cellars, Zeitgeist Cellars and Les’s son Sean who founded Sova Wines. Behrens Family Winery produces red wines almost exclusively, focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon and a variety of blends. A number of their labels are based on specific pieces of art – primarily paintings.

Total production has varied over the years, ultimately reaching about 7,000 cases spread among some 30 different SKUs in 2018. starting in 2021 production dropped significantly and is now around 1,00 cases annually.

Behrens was one of the earlier wineries to begin pushing the envelope on ripeness; initially harvesting grapes riper than many of their counterparts. Never formally trained in wine making – Les has subscribed to the “learn by doing” motto – he has been the primary winemaker for every vintage since 1993. Sean says their core wine making practices haven’t changed over the years, but they are making cleaner wines and have streamlined they’re over all operations over the years, becoming more efficient in what they do.

Their operations define artisan crafted wines; the winemaking side of their business is entirely managed by family members, by hand. Les and Lisa’s partnership is an ideal one as Les directly oversees the winemaking and Lisa manages the viticulture side of their operations. Winemaking is highly personal for Les; each wine he and Lisa produce has a particular soul and are always distinctive.

Their bottlings are made in small lot productions, are often blends and are known for their ripeness yet also beautiful acidity. Over the years we’ve noticed older vintages often show more youthful than their vintage indicates. These wines are distinctive, engaging and always feature unique personalities, creative names and intriguing and catchy labels.

In 2020 the winery burned down during the devastating Glass Fire, but the recently built at that time, tasting room was fortunately spared. We visited a couple of days after the fire burned through this part of Spring Mountain; there were still flames burning on the property. About 20 barrels survived in a cave like Quonset hut on the property but approximately 400 barrels were destroyed. A new winery was built in a nearby location to the former winery.

Select Wines
Whites
The 2019 Behrens Family Winery La Danza Sauvignon Blanc, Kick Ranch Sonoma County is medium to deep gold in color; for reference we tasted this 6 years post vintage. The color has certainly darkened from its time in the flint glass bottle. On the bouquet there are aromas of bruised apples, an aromatic that we often find in aged white Sauvignon Blancs, baked pineapple, dried apricot, yellow nectarines, beeswax, paraffin/saran wrap, preserved lemon and a hint of chamomile. On the palate there are flavors pineapple, baked pear, yellow peach, golden apples, preserved lemons, beeswax, golden raisins and a note of dried apricot. Soft across the palate, this wine features a bright but balanced acidity. It texture is creamy and supple. Lingers with a pronounced tangy/sweet character – more tangy than sweet. Mouthwatering. But needs to consumed now. The image used for the label invokes plenty of movement and joy, perfect for this lively wine; it was painted by Fer. Castillanos and designed by Brian Nash of BNDCo., Inc. 13.8% alcohol. As of our latest update to this profile, this was the last vintage of Sauvignon Blanc produced by Behrens Family Winery.

Reds
Bull Block
The 2023 Bull Block Cabernet Sauvignon (100% varietal from Moulds Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District) is deep ruby and opaque; dark fruited, this wine smells like plum, blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry, dark chocolate and a hint of dark cocoa powder and as it opens further, espresso. Plush in terms of the interaction of both fruit on the texture on the entry. But be patient, this wine is exceptionally well layered in terms of both its fruit and texture. This wine tastes like dark cherry, blackberry pie, boysenberry, dark mulberry, dark chocolate and cocoa powder. The ripeness of fruit is balanced by the higher toned acidity. The tannins are broadly dispersed, with a firm and persisting grip, but the tannins are not edgy or course. Rather they are densely packed with a gravelly/chalky, dusty and drying feel, in tandem with the fruit on the finish. This wine is sculpted to be highly age worthy. We would love to try this again every 5 years for the next 20 years.

B-East
The 2023 B-East Petite Sirah is 88% Petite Sirah and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon (used to soften the tannins). The Petite Sirah is from Lake County. This wine is deep ruby with amaranthine hues and completely opaque as this variety is often expressed as. We might have a hard time identifying the variety in a blind tasting; one needs patience with this wine (three years post vintage). Its aromatics are reticent at 3 years post vintage. They include floral notes, i.e. lavender and violets with dark fruits, but showing Satsuma plum, blackberry and a very subtle hint of dark chocolate. Unlike any other Petite Sirah we have enjoyed from Napa Valley, its presence is plush, both in terms of its fruit and interplay of texture and acidity. Dark fruited, this wine tastes like dark plum, blackberry, boysenberry and dark chocolate. Additional layers are of tobacco spice, dried sage and dried bay leaf. Finishes ripe yet also simultaneously showcases a noteworthy fresh character. The tannins are generous but not edgy; evenly distributed they coat the palate with a gravelly and lightly grainy character which persists in tandem with the fruit. This wine as pressed off into barrel where its secondary fermentation occurs. The label is immediately eye-catching, that of a bulldog with a severed human hand in its mouth; Mark Burkhart was artist. This wine has been made every year since 1993.

It’s Really Not That Complicated
The 2022 It’s Really Not That Complicated was made from two vineyards and is 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Cabernet Franc and 24% Petit Verdot. This wine is deep ruby with amaranthine hues and opaque; the bouquet offers immediate floral notes including violets, lavender and lilacs. The fruit is initially a little reticent and needs time to open. Its scents are of dark plum, blackberry, boysenberry, dark licorice, dark cherry and dark mulberry. And sweet a sweet tobacco spice. The oak stays far in the background, letting the fruit doing most of the conversing. Both red and dark fruited, this wine tastes like dark plum, blackberry, boysenberry and Pakistani mulberry. Finishes with a light savory edge, a union of a bright vein of acidity and dried herbs including sage. The tannins are latent and need time on the palate to fully express their depth, persisting with a well tumbled but evenly dispersed light dusty texture. Drinks easily. Artist Lori Lipton works exclusively in pen and pencil. This is the second vintage produced of this wine.

Ethan’s Cuvee
The 2021 Ethan’s Cuvee (Howell Mountain) is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is deep ruby and opaque; the bouquet is immediately generous, offering aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, Satsuma plum with a light non fruited influence of tobacco, lavender, dark cocoa powder, chocolate, dried sage and old cedar box. Balanced, with a pleasing union between flavor, acidity and texture. Ripe, the palate offers flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry, dark plum with a balanced but vibrant layer of acidity. Finishes with a light warmth deep in the palate with well-tumbled tannins, sporting a light dusty and gravelly character. The tannins persist beyond the fruit on the finish. This is a crowd friendly Napa Valley red blend that hits lots of pleasure points on the palate. The first vintage of this wine was in 2018; this is their sophomore vintage. Sam Wolf Connolly is the artist behind the label on this wine.

Labor of Love
The 2021 Labor of Love Cabernet Franc (Pritchard Hill) is 87% Cabernet Franc and 13% Petit Verdot is deep ruby and nearly opaque; this is a very ripe expression of the variety and stays far away from what this variety expresses in a cooler site. Its scents are a union of sweetly fruited ripe fruits and sweet barrel influences. It smells like cherry pie, blackberry jam, boysenberry spread, milk chocolate and mocha. Red and dark fruited on the palate, a lively thread of acidity runs the length of the palate, tempering the ripeness of the fruit. Like the bouquet, the palate is an interaction of both fruit and barrel, with flavors of blackberry jam, cherry pie, boysenberry, Persian mulberry and red plums with finishing layers of dark chocolate, cocoa powder and mocha. Both fruit and bright and refreshing acidity parallel each other on the extended finish. With the tannins seamlessly integrated, sporting a well-tumbled finely-woven texture. NWP 97-99.

The Explorer
The 2018 Behrens Family Winery The Explorer, California Red Wine is a blend of 32% Grenache, 25% Petite Sirah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot and 8% Merlot. This wine is deep ruby in color; its scents include orange peel, assorted berries including raspberry jam, strawberries and boysenberries, dark fig, baked plums, dark licorice, spicy plum skin, a light note of white pepper and cloves. Brightly lit across the palate, the bountiful acidity has kept this wine youthful 7 years post vintage. Intensely flavored, its profile includes blackberry, boysenberry, Persian mulberry, blueberry, dark cherry, baked plums and Satsuma plum. There are also notes of clove, white pepper and tobacco leaf. The fruit is very much alive and is supported by a tannins that grab all parts of the palate, lingering for quite some time with a chewy, dense and dusty character. Their texture ultimately outpaces the fruit. The image on the front label of a boy peeking out of a wooden barrel with a backpack and a fish in a bowl was created by artist Graham Franciose, known for his Morning Coffee Painting series started in 2019 and now numbers more than 700 paintings.

The Anchor
The 2017 Behrens Family Winery The Anchor is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot. This wine is deep ruby and opaque; hanging out in the shadows, moody and not yet ready to socialize until its numerous layers are peeled away, this bouquet needs some time to fully evolve and fully be examined. Its scents include damp potting soil, forest floor, dried mushroom, tar, grilled meats, a sanguine character, black olive, old cedar box, plums, red cherry and black currant. Dark and savory this Cabernet Sauvignon would stand out on its own against a lineup of more ripe and fruit forward expressions. On the palate there are flavors of dark plum, cherry, blueberry, currant, blackberry and cranberry. The acidity is crunchy and mouth watering. Still very energetic, 8 years post vintage. The finish lingers with grainy and gritty textured firmly gripping tannins which soon outpace the fruit with a drying sensation. Big juicy ribeye steak and a BBQ, please. And the company of a voluptuous brunette. The image of an anchor on the front label was drawn by artist Derek Nobbs; while no longer active, he was known for his grim maritime themed paintings.

The Passenger
The 2017 Behrens Family Winery The Passenger Petite Sirah, Calistoga Napa Valley is a blend of 93% Petite Sirah and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is dark ruby and nearly opaque. This variety is known of its dark color, although 8 years post vintage, its color is presumably not quite as dark or inky purple as in its youth. The bouquet offers loads of ripe fruits in union with baking spices. These aromas include blackberry jam, boysenberry spread, Pakistani mulberry at the peak of its ripeness, Coral cherry and dark plum. Additional layers are of clove, nutmeg, candied orange peel and a hint of mint. A big mouthful of ripe but still invigorating youthful fruit, its flavors include Satsuma plum, dark cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, blueberry and mulberry. Its acidity provides plenty of movement and freshness. Finishes tart with its prominent lasting fruit flavor being that of plum. The tannins are still very much grippy, broadly coating and liger with a grainy and drying character along with a light note of crushed peppercorn. But not peppery. Juicy, crunchy and still shows shades of being a teenager, despite in ‘wine years’ this is probably well into young adulthood. Loads of life ahead of this and don’t let the 15.1% listed alcohol sway you otherwise. The image on the wine label was painted by Matthew Grabelsky, known for his works depicting humans with faces of animals sitting or standing in metro cars.

The Collector
The 2016 Behrens Family Winery The Collector, Napa Valley Red Wine is blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; fully ripe the bouquet expresses aromas of plums, blueberries, red licorice, grilled meats, crushed pink peppercorn, rose petals and an usual aromatic we rarely note when smelling wines – that of kimchee. Its vivacious and juicy acidity lifts the palate high despite its obvious textural girth. Despite the 15.4% listed alcohol, this wine shows younger than the 9 years post vintage at the time of our tasting; in blind tasting we probably would not have been able to identify its age. Its flavors include red plums, cherries, blueberries, currants and a lasting note of dried cedar. Its texture broadly coats all parts of the palate filling every crack and crevice, lingering with grippy, gritty, chewy, dusty and highly persistent tannins. A hallmark character of this wine is its remarkable length on the finish. The image of a boy carrying a mayonnaise or pickle-like jar on the front label was created by San Diego based artist Aron Weisenfeld, known for his charcoal drawings.

Calling All Angels
The 2019 Behren’s Family “Calling All Angels” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque; for reference we needled and noted this 7 years post vintage. The bouquet is a union of both ripe fruits and floral contributions including Satsuma plum, blackberry, dark cherry and boysenberry. Non fruited scents include lavender, violets, dried sage and old cedar. On the palate, this wine tastes riper than the bouquet would lead one to believe, with flavors of dark raspberry, cherry, red plums and a finishing layer of dried tobacco leaf. Persists with a dusty character and a lightly chewy grip; the texture persists well beyond the fruit on the finish. Fresh at this age, this wine had loads of life ahead of it and will certainly continue to reward for at least another 10-15 years with the proper cellar care. This wine is named in homage to the winemakers who sold Les and Lisa barrels of wine to replace their own 2019 vintage which was lost during the 2020 Glass Fire.

Ritchie Creek
Ritchie Creek is a nearby vineyard and for nearly two decades stopped producing their own wines but continued to sell grapes from their vineyard. They are one of Spring Mountain’s more historical properties with wines originally produced under the Ritchie Creek label beginning in 1974. The second generation managed this vineyard for a number of years – the brand is now under non-family ownership. For many years, they sold grapes to Behrens Family Winery.

The 2016 Behrens Family Winery Ritchie Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is dark purple in the glass. The bouquet delivers big, bold darker fruit aromas—blackberry and plum—layered with toasted oak, cedar and darker spice notes that speak clearly of its mountain origin. On the palate it follows through with big fruit, big flavors and big structure; this wine has the depth and gravitas expected from mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Lively acidity keeps the richness in check, while chewy, persistent tannins provide a long, assertive finish that promises rewarding evolution in the cellar.

Spare Me
When this was being produced, the blend changed every year – it is a barrel selection of wines that do not fit into their other wines. The very unique label is of a woman bowling, based off a statue they purchased on Ebay – two random details on the statue stand out, one are the letters SH (one could take this to mean St. Helena and the year 1962 – the year Lisa was born).

The 2013 Behrens Family Winery Spare Me is dark in the glass, with darker fruit aromas including blackberry joined by notes of leather and cedar box on the bouquet. The nose feels inviting rather than brooding, hinting at both fruit and maturity. On the palate it is a very approachable wine in its youth, somewhat juicy with mouthwatering acidity that keeps the flavors lively. Medium bodied, it carries its fruit without heaviness, and the somewhat dusty yet fairly well-integrated tannins gently anchor the finish, giving the wine just enough grip to feel complete while remaining easy to drink.

While they produce some wines year after year while a number of their wines/labels are only produced for a few vintages.

Two other wines we have enjoyed during previous visits include: Cemetery and the Family Reserve. The Cemetery name is interesting for two reasons; Les used to be a gravedigger and the vineyard providing the fruit for this wine is adjacent to the historic St. Helena Cemetery (walk through here and almost everywhere you look you will be greeted by gravestones of deceased vintners). The label for their Cemetery bottling was drawn by the acclaimed artist Rosemary Feit Covey. It is one of the darkest wines one will ever see, is robust in its stature – a very full-bodied showing. In comparison the Reserve is a totally different wine. It is a blend of four Bordeaux varieties and is only made when they feel the “juice” is of the highest standards. It is generally a very elegant wine, soft on the palate and smooth on the finish.

Hospitality
Tastings are appointment only for serious wine enthusiasts and are always kept private for your party. In late summer 2019, Behrens Family opened a new tasting room. Positioned perfectly to take full advantage of their memorable panoramic vistas, the tasting room doors swing fully open so that visitors have views of surrounding vineyards, mountain ranges and parts of the valley far below in the distance. Sean used his skills from years in the construction to build this tasting room.

A visit to the winery used to incorporate one of the Napa Valley’s more unique tasting experiences. Les and Lisa acquired a 1947 Westcraft trailer which served as their tasting room for a number of years prior to the construction of the current tasting room. This type of trailer was top of the line at the time.

For more information, to schedule an appointment to their tasting room and or to join their mailing list, visit: www.behrensfamilywinery.com

Winery Photos

ARCHIVED NOTES
Tasting Studio (no longer open)
Opting for a more accessible tasting room, for several years Behrens Family Winery maintained a tasting room ‘hidden’ just off of Main Street in the southern part of St. Helena. The ‘little yellow house’ was open for tastings by appointment and was located next to one of St. Helena’s most auspicious and well-known vineyards – Dr. Crane. This is not the first time this home has been used as a tasting space – prior occupant was Karl Lawrence Cellars.

Despite being so close to Highway 29 this was a relaxing place to sit and enjoy wine either inside their tiny tasting salon or outside in their small patio area. The traffic from the nearby highway was never a distraction.

NOTE: as of 2019 this studio is now closed; we keep this information here for historical record purposes only. All tastings by appointment are now held at the winery.

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Folie Douce Restaurant, Arcata
Les and Lisa founded this restaurant in 1991 in Arcata. The name means tender madness in French and also refers to a 1951 French film of the same name. Lisa focused on the cuisine (French inspired) and Les curated the wine list eventually receiving the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

The restaurant changed hands several times since Les and Lisa sold it, mostly recently in late 2018 – but remarkably survived the transition in ownership years afterwards and continued to serve fine food with a much-downsized wine list from when Les and Lisa owned it. Each owner has had some connection to the restaurant over the years. But during a meal we did spot a Behrens Family wine available by the glass. The current ownership has changed the menu somewhat from prior ownership – adding some Lebanese dishes.

Several curbside 2-hour parking spots are available directly in front of Folie Douce on G Street and there is additional parking directly behind the restaurant in a small parking lot. Paintings from local artists decorate the inside walls and are for sale. The restaurant works with a number of local purveyors for ingredients and other culinary supplies. Locally sourced oysters and fresh caught fish show up on the menu. Great flat bread – especially when it comes directly to your table out of the oven and still piping hot.

Folie Douce Restaurant closed in late 2019 and remained closed until it was sold in 2021. As of our latest update to this review, the space reopened on November 11, 2021, as The Kitchen Arcata which focuses on innovative dishes from primarily locally sourced ingredients. As of our latest update to this review, this restaurant is only open for dinner.