Duckhorn expands in Napa Valley with vineyard deals
Major US wine producer The Duckhorn Portfolio has said the purchases include cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, as part of its estate vineyard strategy.
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Duckhorn Portfolio said it has acquired about 20 hectares (50 acres) of Napa Valley vineyards via separate deals.
This includes 16ha of the Stanly Ranch vineyard in Los Carneros and the 4ha Red Wing vineyard in St Helena, said the group, listed under the ‘Napa’ ticker on the New York Stock Exchange.
‘As our portfolio has evolved to include 10 renowned luxury wineries, our commitment to having a robust estate vineyard programme continues to be central to ensuring the exceptional quality of our wines,’ said Duckhorn’s CEO and president Alex Ryan.
At Stanly Ranch, Duckhorn said its new vineyards constituted two, 8ha plots planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sitting adjacent to its Migration winery and another 4ha of vines already owned by the group.
‘Featuring Haire clay loam soils and a cool climate influenced by the site’s proximity to San Pablo Bay, The Duckhorn Portfolio’s Stanly Ranch vineyards are ideal for Burgundian varietals,’ said the group.
It plans to use its new vines for Migration’s cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines.
Further north, Duckhorn said it has sourced Sauvignon Blanc from the Red Wing vineyard in St Helena for more than 15 years.
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It plans to replace a block of Merlot in the vineyard with Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, ‘to support demand for Duckhorn Vineyards’ acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc’.
This wine will also benefit from grapes sourced from the next-door Alton Family Vineyard, after Duckhorn said it has signed a long-term lease deal.
Duckhorn will rename Red Wing the Wolfe Vineyard after the property’s previous owners. It also plans to rename the Stanly Ranch vineyards.
Financial details of the deals were not disclosed.
Duckhorn Portfolio said its estate vineyard programme now includes nearly 121 hectares (298 acres) in Napa Valley.
It said it also has 202 hectares (500 acres) in other north coast California appellations, plus 33 hectares (82 acres) in the Central Coast’s Mt. Harlan appellation and eight hectares (20 acres) at the Longwinds Vineyard on Red Mountain in Washington State.
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Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.
He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.
Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.
Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.