Westwood: A model for a Napa Valley reset

The range of wines available at Westwood — Westwood owners Carl Stanton and John Kelly planted multiple clones of Pinot Noir and seven different Rhone varieties to determine what could flourish in their vineyards.

(Image credit: Rubin Photography)

For his entire life, businessman Carl Stanton, the owner of Westwood Estate Wine, had sought the undiscovered. When he set his sights on finding a piece of untamed earth among prime vineyard land in northern California wine country, it didn’t take him long to hit pay dirt.

A 33-acre plot of land in Sonoma Valley, east of Santa Rosa near Trione-Annadel State Park, is surrounded by the Mayacamas Mountains to the east and within plain sight of a gap in Sonoma Mountain to the west. With partner John Kelly, Stanton snapped it up and established the Annadel Gap Vineyard in 2000.

Saturated in fog most mornings while receiving a cooling breeze in the afternoons, the transverse positioning of the site and its cool climate suggested Pinot Noir and Rhône varieties could thrive. Stanton and Kelly planted multiple clones of Pinot Noir and seven different Rhone varieties to determine what could flourish best in the combination of silt loam, clay and volcanic soils.

Westwood winery's Annadel Gap vineyards — The morning fog and the cooling afternoon breezes at Annadel Gap vineyards, as well as the transverse positioning of the site suggested Pinot Noir and Rhône varieties could thrive.

How did the name Westwood come about?

Carl Stanton (CS): We discovered a large black oak tree at the far western end of the vineyard and decided to name our wine ‘Westwood’ in homage. We first made Westwood wine at a custom-crush facility and opened the Westwood Estate tasting room on the Sonoma Plaza in 2003. Soon after, I turned my attention to the vineyard. It took a decade to determine that Pinot Noir and Rhône varieties performed best.

What changed in 2017 with your farming?

CS: We achieved organic certification through the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Biodynamic certification through Demeter. Incidentally, I also hired David Green, a 20-plus-year Napa veteran, as managing director for Westwood.

You almost lost everything a few years later. What happened?

CS: The 2020 fires in wine country damaged a large swathe of the vineyard, but we’ve painstakingly nurtured key areas back to production. Learning to deal with fires is, well, new. Tragic accidents and events may occur, but it’s how one responds, reconstitutes, and ultimately finds a pathway to success – it defines character. Without the calamity of the fires, Westwood would not have found its way to explore and challenge the boundaries of Cabernet Sauvignon.

How has Westwood evolved since the fires?

CS: Westwood had been focused on crafting wines that reflect the unique location of the Annadel Gap Vineyard in Sonoma Valley. One real benefit of our minor tragedy was that it allowed us to focus on our partner vineyards in Napa and Sonoma. We just released a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and have a forthcoming Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon bottling, aptly called ‘The Pivot’. These new wines still ring true to our heritage and style – and deliver – at responsible luxury prices.

Westwood's David Green, Philippe-Melka, Maayan-Koschitzky and Carl-Stanton. — Left to right: Westwood manager director, David Green, winemaker Philippe Melka, director or winemaking Maayan Koschitzky and founder Carl-Stanton.

You pegged Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky to work on your Cab programme. How did that come about?

CS: After the 2020 fires, we moved our production to Napa and began exploring how to make Cabernet Sauvignon blends that fitted with the brand’s ethos. I’d enjoyed many bottles of wine over the years with Philippe, and he knew what I liked. It made sense to work with him, and he agreed. He immediately helped us source fruit from cooler areas of Napa. Our Westwood Coombsville Cabernet is marked by freshness and savoury notes, while the Rutherford Cab, from a slightly warmer but still relatively cool site, offers warm spices and has great density.

Do you have plans to release any single-vineyard Cabernets under Westwood?

CS: We’re still on our hunt for great vineyard sites and terroirs, and as we identify those that fit with the Westwood ethos, we’ll add those to our portfolio as single vineyard wines if they speak the truth of the vineyard. Most importantly, we’ll keep evolving as a brand to craft world-class wine.