Winemaking Philosophy

“Even the greatest chef in the world can’t do much with supermarket tomatoes in the middle of winter,” says winemaker Massimo Monticelli.

That one sentence sums up the winemaking approach of KrisTodd Vineyards. They baby their vines, manicuring them in accordance with the season, which ensures complete and even ripening. They pick on the late side—only when the inside of every cluster is ripe—for power and supple tannins, then raise the wines in the best French oak money can buy. Finally, they’re absolutely unflinching when making barrel selections for each cuvée, erring on the side of quality over quantity. Kristine, Tod, and Massimo taste frequently before they settle on the final blend. This ensures consistently high quality, year in and year out.

2024 Sauvignon Blanc

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

The nose is intensely aromatic featuring underlying exotic hints of citrus, pear and pineapple. The wine has a balanced acidity to the fruit notes with the palate featuring candied lemon peel, honeydew melon and a slight litchi seed character followed by a long and refreshing finish of bright lemon citrus and melon with a refreshing balance and creamy clean finish.

This wine was sent directly to the press with a 20% berry break. The wine was then fermented in steel tanks after cold soaking in its skins to extract its rich fruit flavors. The skins were then pressed until just before any bitter taste, and aged in steel tanks without any oak barrel aging.

100 cases produced.

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2023 Sauvignon Blanc

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

The warm growing season of 2023 left our Sauvignon Blanc with Tropical heaven in a glass. The notes of pear, stone fruit, peach, and lemon zest is met with a bright acidity and dry finish.

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2022 Sauvignon Blanc

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

This Sauvignon Blanc has beautiful aromas of ripe passion fruit and grapefruit. The wonderful acidity balances with the creamy dry finish of tropical fruits that lingers on the palate. A true beauty.

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2020 Sauvignon Blanc

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

KrisTodd sources Sauvignon Blanc fruit from Ryan’s Vineyard on Big Ranch Road in Oak Knoll. At about 20 years old, it’s also a key source for Accendo Cellars. Kristine, Tod, and Massimo pick their Sauvignon Blanc at the “goldilocks” level of ripeness: not too green, and not too figgy and tropical. They raise the wine in 100% new oak, giving the wine a creamy profile while keeping a crisp and clean finish.

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2017 Sauvignon Blanc

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

KrisTodd sources Sauvignon Blanc fruit from Ryan’s Vineyard on Big Ranch Road in Oak Knoll. At about 20 years old, it’s also a key source for Accendo Cellars. Kristine, Tod, and Massimo pick their Sauvignon Blanc at the “goldilocks” level of ripeness: not too green, and not too figgy and tropical. They raise the wine in 100% new oak, giving the wine a creamy profile while keeping a crisp and clean finish.

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2024 Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

This is not your usual rosé. This rosé is comprised of 98% Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petite Sirah. The wine expresses a prominent bouquet of fresh strawberry and cranberry with a hint of raspberry. The palate mirrors the nose with distinct flavors of strawberry, pomegranate alongside notes of cranberry and other red berries. A dry rosé with sugars less than one gram, gives the mouth a dry with balanced acidity creating a harmonious taste with a silky, smooth satin finish of cranberry cocktail.

This wine was made in the traditional French method called, Saigńee, which is Franch for “to bleed”. The wine is bled off from the tank of crushed red grapes after three days on skins. This makes a rosé wine which is richer and more flavorful with an increase in color and tannin concentration. The primary function of this technique is to enhance the red wine by increasing its richness, color and tannin structure that makes it far more compelling than a normal rosé.

150 cases produced.

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2023 Rosé

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

This Rosé is comprised of 98% Howell Mountain Cabernet and 2% Petite Sirah. The dark rich color and scents of strawberry will entice you to Cranberry, pomegranate, vanilla and an extra smooth elegant finish with just a bit of tannins as only a true cabernet lover can appreciate.

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2022 Rosé

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon is a surprising rarity in the Napa Valley, let alone Howell Mountain, making this one a special treat. It’s produced using the “saignée” method, “bled” from tanks of Cabernet Sauvignon juice, giving it a deep color and bold, full-bodied profile, filled with flavors of pomegranate, cranberry, and strawberry. It’s a Cabernet Lover’s rosé, for those rare days that are too hot to crack a bottle of red—and it’s got a huge following.

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2019 KT²

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

KT² is comprised of 100% Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from our estate, which had the luxury to age 30 months in new French Oak. You will find aromas of plush red fruit. Your palate will be delighted with raspberry puree and luscious strawberry notes left with an insanely smooth finish with the warmth of Fall baking spices.

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2018 KT²

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

This Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was aged 30 months in all new French Oak. This wine has aromas of pomegranate and briary red fruit. It’s strong silky tannins lead you to plum, cranberry, cocoa and mocha flavors. A completely balanced wine with a dark chocolate finish along with oak and fruit tannins.

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2021 Cabernet Franc/ Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

A few hundred vines of Cabernet Franc are always the last to be picked at KrisTodd Vineyard, in order to make sure each cluster is completely ripe and free of “green” pyrazine flavors. It’s fermented and barreled down on its own, then blended with select barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the resulting wine’s its black-fruited power and richness easily stands up to its 100% new French oak élevage.

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2021 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

This Cabernet Franc-Cabernet Sauvignon Blend is Howell Mountain Fruit at its finest. A 50% Blend of each varietal leaves your taste buds wanting more. The aromas of cherry and red fruit tease you as the palate is met with a velvet mouth-feel of bright fruit, dried cherry, cranberry, plum, strawberry, rose water with medium tannins and great acidity. The dark fruit finish lingers on the palate for the bold but sophisticated wine. Aged in 100% New French Oak for 31 months.

2019 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

An utterly special and rare estate wine. Beautiful tannins meet you after aromas of dark red fruit. A wonderful mineral note shines through the whole experience. A long lingering finish of complex red plum, tannins, and minerality highlight the Howell Mountain terroir.

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2021 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

Grown at the 1800-foot elevation on South-Southwestern exposure, the wine produced from two different French clones in 2021 is a stunning representation of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine expresses aromas of bright cherry with baking spices of nutmeg and clove. The Dry and full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon shows a symphony of flavors of blackberry, wild blueberry and dark red fruit. The mouthfeel is one of fuzzy medium tannins from its 31 months in all new French oak barrels from iconic French cooperage, Seguin Moreau, known for its consistent aromatic profiles for high end wines. The lingering finish of tannins and dark fruit makes this Cabernet Sauvignon one for the ages.

375 cases produced

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2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

This Howell Mountain cabernet sauvignon is 100% cabernet sauvignon using all new French Oak. The palate is rich with layers of dark berries and the long lingering finish presents with flavors of cocoa and bold velvety tannins. A balanced wine that will age in the bottle for years to come.

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2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

This Howell Mountain beauty is 100% cabernet sauvignon using all new French Oak. It gives intoxicating aromas of dark fruit. The new French oak balances with the acid and bold tannins. This wine displays seductive flavors of briary brambleberry, plum and cherry with hints of clove, nutmeg and Chambord. This is a bold mountain cabernet sauvignon with a long velvety finish.

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2015 Susan Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

The 2015 Susan Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon gives a bouquet of dark briary fruit, blackberry and black tea. The palate is an expression of blackberry pie and dark red fruit. The medium tannins flow to a lingering finish of fresh acidity to balance the fruit forward character of this very warm growing season.

50 cases produced.

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2014 Susan Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

The Susan Cellars line of product is one with a deep soul. Made for a dear friend who lost her sister to cancer, the wine was produced from KrisTodd’s Howell Mountain Estate. The wine was aged for 24 months in all new French oak, and was originally only for friends and family of our dear friend. It was brought out this year when it was determined the wine was ready for consumption near its peak of winemaking perfection.

The 2014 Susan Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon greets you with aromas of cedar, cigar box and tobacco. The taste is one of dark cherry and chocolate. The silky smooth tannins flow to a lingering finish of dark cherry on the mid palate.

50 cases produced.

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2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve represents a barrel selection of the finest two to three barrels in the KrisTodd cellar, after months of diligent tasting and deliberation. It’s the pinnacle expression of the KrisTodd Vineyard, reserved only for our wine club members. 2019 is the first and only year we have produced a reserve so far.

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