08/11/2024
Atlas Peak Mountain Winery, Sill Family Vineyards' End of Summer Newsletter
We are approaching summer’s end and our grapes are in the final stretch of their seasonal growth prior to harvest. Budbreak ocurred on the earlier side and by the end of bloom, Napa temperatures were tracking closely with 2017- which was a record year in terms of heat. Fortunately, higher than average rain this winter allowed us to preclude early summer’s irrigation, which is great for our vines and for our planet, and exercise essentially, quasi-dry farming approach. With late-stage veraison underway, our summer weather that has been gorgeous, the 2024 vintage is shaping up to be spectacular. As of today, we estimate we’ll start picking in eight weeks, a slightly earlier harvest than last year. We’ll check back in with you once our grapes are safely in their fermentation tanks.
Nothing compares to my leisurely early morning, late summer walks in the vineyard to start my day. With the sun just rising, the early morning air is still crisp, and the dirt that crunches below my feet telegraphs a sense of genuine purpose. I can feel the connection between our earth and our being as well as an understanding of seasonal time in the vineyards. Wind and bees generally play only a small role in aiding pollination in the vineyard, with the process being mostly self-contained within the vine itself, however, I do love the bees and the hard work they do keeping our flowers blooming and the honey flowing.
Morning in June 2024 seated on the bumper of my 1935 Hudson Terraplane - launched by Hudson spokesperson, aviatrix Amelia Earhart
I was recently honored with an interview by my University of Oxford alumni representative for an article highlighting ‘Mertonians in the Wine Industry which I’d like to share with you. It’s scheduled to be published in: University of Oxford, The Merton Postmaster Record 2024 this month.
“Igor Sill (2005) Winemaker and Vintner at Atlas Peak Mountain Winery, Sill Family Vineyards, Napa Valley, California, USA
Atlas Peak Mountain Winery is a 24.5 acre Atlas Peak AVA, Napa mountain winery and vineyards. When establishing The Sill Family Vineyards, Igor Sill chose Napa’s high elevation Atlas Peak volcanic appellation because of its longer sun exposure and cooler nights, and the characteristics of the soil. This vineyard represents a unique piece of Napa winemaking history as it was one of the most difficult to plant, hard to farm and its quality is truly exceptional. Sill Family Vineyards produces some of the greatest cabernet fruit that Napa has to offer each and every year, its high-ranking Cabernet Sauvignon achieves notable accolades, turning the heads of wine critics and collectors worldwide. I became passionate about Bordeaux wines after being introduced to Château Margaux, Château Latour and Château Lafite Rothschild in the late 1970s by H Lyman Emerson, a renaissance gentleman and noted fine wine collector. From 1997 to 2010 I worked with Francois Pinault’s Group Artémis, owner of Château Latour. I went on to become a Court of Master Sommelier, judging wine competitions including the annual International Wine Challenge in London, and learned my winemaking craft via UC Davis’ viticulture program. I worked at Italian wine producer V Sattui Winery and Opus One Winery in Napa, California. There, I fell in love with Napa’s numerous microclimates and unique terroirs and started a search for an extraordinary volcanic mountain vineyard. That led to the purchase of the 24-acre Atlas Peak Mountain Winery property in 2016, turning my passion for collecting fine Bordeaux and Burgundian wines into a love for producing them with an artisan Old-World approach. At Sill Family Vineyards, we recognize that we are only the most recent stewards in a long history of our land, farming according to a continually organic and sustainable methods. We utilize a farm conservation plan for the vineyard which includes environmentally-based practices that utilise beneficial insects and predatory birds in order to protect and sustain our environment naturally. There are four seasons that affect growing grapes, and each requires distinct activities. The spring season is all about spurting new growth from a grape vine that has been dormant through winter, pruning each vine to help it produce a healthy crop and mowing the ground cover crop for nutrients. We refer to this as budburst, flower cluster and fruit set. During the summer months we tie new growth shoots to trellis to train the vines to maximize sun exposure during the vine’s berry development. As we are fully sustainable and organically farmed there is a great deal of manual labour in tending the vineyards. We harvest our bounty in the late fall, generally in October and November. The passing of each season signals the beginning of a new stage in the vineyard management cycle. Each requires extensive care while bringing tremendous personal rewards. Like any other great work, mine arose out of the passion for uncompromised quality in creating exceptional wines. As a result, our wines receive worldwide rave reviews for their powerful expressiveness, density, character, elegance and silk-long finish. Robert Parker extended a 97 points rating to our 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage and Wine Spectator rated it 98 points. Our 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon received the CWSA 2018 Wine of the Year award, as well as the Double Gold Medal, and our 2016 très Rosé de Chardonnay won the gold medal. Sill Family Vineyards has a philanthropic strand to its mission. I’m particularly inspired by the following quote from Winston Churchill:
‘What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?’
Like Churchill, and Oxford ethics researcher Toby Ord who started the organisation Giving What We Can, we believe that we have a moral imperative to give to causes which do the most good, as well as to those less fortunate than ourselves. Accordingly, Sill Family Vineyards has pledged to donate 10% of each year’s profits to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals and Kadoch Lab, bringing together the cancer research community to tackle challenges in unravelling cancer, metastasis and the chromatin regulatory mechanisms.
When I think back to my Oxford days, I recognise that Merton is both historic and magical(1). It creates a cultural atmosphere that facilitates personal development in support of ones pursuit of knowledge. The research that goes on is world class and inspiring. My colleagues came from all over the world. They were fascinating, talented and engaging people, each with a story to tell and all seeking to make a difference, and a significant contribution. It was truly a productive and memorable time for me. Igor welcomes visitors at his estate tasting patio up on the Atlas Peak, where they can have an unforgettable tasting experience and enjoy spending quality time walking the vineyard, hearing more about the Sill farming philosophies, and enjoying the beauty of nature. More at https://sillfamilyvineyards.com/”
We are located high above the valley on a heavenly volcanic mountain plateau. Set just a few minutes north of downtown Napa, an escape to the untouched natural beauty that is Atlas Peak. The curvy, windy road that leads up to Atlas Peak is dotted with pristine vineyards. Even though it’s just minutes from the hustle and bustle of tourist-rich Napa, it remains a quiet oasis, wine country’s undiscovered hidden gems which are well worth the journey.
Our wines are available for purchase exclusively on our website (subject to priority for our Club Members). Share in our journey as we pursue our commitment to our high elevation mountain vineyards and the terroir-driven wines we are honored to craft. From all of us at Sill Family Vineyards, thank you so much for your support – it means so much to us!
Igor Sill, Vintner & Winemaker 415 244-4646 cell
