KrisTodd Vineyard is located on Bell Canyon Road, on the western slopes of Howell Mountain, in between Beatty Ranch and O’Shaughnessy. It’s three acres in total, planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon Clones 7 and 337 in 2013. A few hundred vines of Cabernet Franc were planted along the vineyard avenues in 2017.
The terrain here consists of very rocky red volcanic soils, full of andesite, a rusty-colored, iron-rich stone. The terroir is so rocky, the vines need to be at least 6 feet apart from one another in order to be able to survive. The topsoil is ludicrously thin: just 18-24 inches throughout the vineyard. The vines genuinely suffer, yielding only 1-½ to 2 tons per acre: the telltale yield of concentrated, luxury-quality wine.
KrisTodd Vineyard is a bit of a sun-trap—its south/southwest orientation means that it captures sunlight all day, from morning until sundown. It’s single-cordon trained to have a split canopy, in order to maximize shade, and shade cloth is also used on the rows, so the grapes are well-protected from sunburn during their long hang time until September and October.
Jason Ray of Napa Select Vineyard Services has farmed KrisTodd Vineyard since it was planted in 2013. Ray is making a name for himself as the go-to vineyard expert in Napa and Sonoma Counties. He farms over 1,000 acres in total, but he personally supervises the picks at KrisTodd, which are often some of the last vines picked on all of Howell Mountain—to his occasional consternation!
“Everything is meticulously done. Jason is on top of it, nonstop,” says Massimo Monticelli. “I don’t have to say anything,” he says. “Jason’s focus is on quality—not tonnage.”
KrisTodd is farmed organically, but not certified. No herbicides, insecticides, or inorganic fungicides are used in the production of KrisTodd wines. Kristine and Tod live on the property, and their health and that of their family, friends, and vineyard workers is a top priority—not to mention the wilderness ecosystem.
