100% Mount George Vineyards - Located east of Napa, Mount George Vineyards was the site of Coombsville's first vineyards, and was managed by pioneering Napa winemaker Henry Hagen. Originally known as Cedar Knoll Vineyards, the property established a reputation for producing fine red wine in the 1880s. Silverado Vineyards was later acquired by the historic property owner in 1988. I bought the part and repaired it.
Silverado is part of the Appellation Committee that established the Coombsville AVA in 2012. To commemorate this milestone in 2012, the first vintage of GEO, a single-vineyard Cabernet, was produced. Inspired by the root word for earth and the name of the vineyard, GEO is the finest single-vineyard Cabernet from this special location. 100% Mount George Vineyard - Located east of Napa, Mount George Vineyard was the first site of vineyard plantings in Coombsville. Under the stewardship of pioneering Napa winemaker Henry Hagen, originally known as Cedar Knoll Vineyard, the site established a reputation for producing fine red wines in the 1880s. Silverado Vineyards subsequently purchased and restored most of this historic property in 1988.
Silverado is part of the appellation committee that established the Coombsville AVA in 2012. To commemorate this milestone in 2012, the first vintage of GEO, a single-vineyard Cabernet, was produced. Inspired by the root word meaning earth and the name of the vineyard, GEO is the highest quality single-vineyard Cabernet produced in this special place. It has concentrated aromas of ripe black cherry, cocoa, and nutmeg. The balance of dense, ripe tannins and acidity is excellent. The fresh acidity adds a clear impression to this full-bodied Cabernet. The cool climate and deep gravelly soil derived from volcanic rock, as well as the volcanic ash from the ancient volcano that now gives the vineyard its name, give Silverado Vineyards' wines depth and structure. The start of the 2019 growing season was marked by abundant precipitation followed by high soil moisture. The summer that followed was long and hot, but with few heatwaves, and morning fog provided the foundation for expressive wines with lively acidity. Although the weather was not entirely without worry, the mild temperatures at the end of the growing season lasted a long time. This allowed for a long hang time that preserved the freshness and refinement of the fruit, resulting in wines with great color, structure, soft tannins, firm acidity and plenty of texture. The Mediterranean-style stone winery was founded in 1981 by the late Diane Disney Miller, daughter of Walt Disney, and her husband Ron Miller, and is built on a small hill off the Silverado Trail in the heart of the Stags Leap District. Silverado is named after an abandoned silver mine near the current winery. Ron and Diane decided to move to Napa in 1968, purchasing land in the Stags Leap District from Harry See, son of the founder of See's Candy. They planted Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon on this land and sold the grapes they grew to nearby wineries. In 1976, California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon won first place at the Paris Tasting, beating out France's Grand Vin. The grapes used for that Cabernet Sauvignon were from Stags Leap District, and in fact, there is a record that the grapes grown by Ron and Diane were sold to each of the wineries that won first place. Riding on the momentum of the Paris Tasting, Ron and Diane began building a winery in 1981, determined to bring the best wine Stags Leap District could produce to the market at a fair price. They now own a total of six vineyards. The winery, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, meticulously vinifies the grapes from these six vineyards in small batches, and the handcrafted wines reflect Silverado's land, philosophy, and wine style. In their relentless pursuit of quality, Silverado is constantly researching and developing viticulture and winemaking, striving to constantly improve vine spacing, training methods, rootstock selection, new yeasts, custom barrels, and the latest equipment for a gentler pressing process. Each vineyard uses different cultivation methods to suit the soil, climate, and grape variety of the vineyard. Today, the name "Silverado Vineyards" represents the Miller family's long-standing commitment to Napa Valley wine. The Stags Leap District is one of the smallest AVAs in Napa Valley, and one of its most well-known wine-producing regions.