Story

KrisTodd Vineyards is the story of a husband and wife who fell under the spell of Howell Mountain: its fir and manzanita forests, its deep emerald-hued vineyards, and its world-famous wines.

It all started in 2010, when Kristine and Tod Ratfield rented a house for a week surrounded by vineyards. They had been wine lovers for some time, but there was something about this place—and the wines—that took hold of their senses. Lamborn Vineyard in particular caught their attention. “What if we could grow grapes here one day?” they thought. A passion project was soon underway.

Since 2009, Kristine and Tod have been on a mission to capture the beauty of their three-acre vineyard on Bell Canyon Road—to show the world what they already know: that Howell Mountain AVA is the greatest mountain terroir of the Napa Valley.

“We love mountain fruit. It’s more complex. Howell Mountain terroir has a flavor profile to me that’s unmatched in the Napa Valley,” says Tod.

Through attentive, careful farming—the kind that’s only possible when you live on site and can hop on the tractor on any given morning—this jewel-box of a vineyard produces immaculate, flavorful fruit year in and year out. Kristine and Tod just want to do it justice.

“We just want to make the best bottle of wine we possibly can. We do what we want to make that happen,” Kristine says.

“Some of the best wines in the Valley are from Howell Mountain. Capturing it is the game. Our goal is not to mess it up,” adds Tod.

Estate

The KrisTodd estate is a five-acre farm with three acres of vineyards on the west side of Howell Mountain, on Bell Canyon Road. It’s the Ratfields’ home base, where you’ll find them tending their organic garden, or even riding a tractor to do vineyard work. To read more about their vineyard, check out the Vineyard section.

Appellation

Howell Mountain AVA was established in 1983, the first of the “mountain” sub-appellations in the Napa Valley. Today about 1,500 acres are under vine, all above the 1,400 ft fogline, which serves as the altitude boundary for the AVA.

The key to this mountain’s stellar quality is simple: first, volcanic, shallow soils with high drainage and low fertility have naturally low yields—these are tiny grapes with thick skins that make for rich, concentrated wines. Being above the fogline means more sunny days throughout the year. This higher altitude also means big diurnal temperature shifts and a longer hang time, often well into October—and occasionally November in some years. This contributes to even, complete ripening, resulting in luscious but structured Cabernet Sauvignons.

Howell Mountain wines are famously tannic. To tame those tannins, Kristine and Tod opt to age their wines in 100% new French oak for anywhere from 22-30 months. They release the wine when it’s tamed and ready to drink—or cellar for another 20+ years.

Owners

Kristine Ratfield and Tod Ratfield are partners in business and in life, operating KrisTodd Vineyards as well as a law firm in Walnut Creek, California. Tod is a business, construction, and entertainment attorney who once represented multiple Grammy award-winning artists.

Tod grew up in the East Bay, in a Portuguese-American family where wine was always on the table, thanks to his great-grandfather’s roots on the island of Madeira. As a youngster he sat in the basement watching his great-grandfather and father making wine, a tradition started by his great-grandfather, who traveled to Russian River Valley to buy grapes during Prohibition.

Kristine hails from Antioch, California, and she and Tod have worked together for over 24 years. Kristine is a food and wine fanatic, and loves cooking and entertaining. These days the couple live full time on the mountain, along with two spunky 5-year old Chihuahua sisters, Luna and Bella.

Winemaker

A California native and fourth generation winemaker, Massimo Monticelli’s passion for winemaking and viticulture began in early childhood while pruning, picking and making wine at his grandfather’s ranch in Central California. Alongside his grandfather and his father Marcello—a winemaker himself with over 50 years’ experience—he learned to appreciate the nuances of wine and how it changes from vineyard to cellar to bottle, as well as the art of pairing a great wine with a great meal shared with family and friends.

After receiving degrees at UC Irvine in Chemistry and Biology with the intent to pursue medicine, he shifted gears, giving in to his passion, and entered the Masters Program for Enology and Viticulture at UC Davis. He began his career in wine as an Enologist for Silver Oak, producing some of the most in-demand Cabernets from California and solidifying his expertise with the iconic grape.

These days he is a consulting winemaker for multiple boutique properties such as Burly and B. Wise. Honoring the family tradition, he and his brother, Mario, founded their own label Monticelli Brothers in 2002, with inaugural vintages of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Massimo works closely with Kristine and Tod to determine pick dates, which is critical on Howell Mountain. Massimo likes to pick on the later side, to ensure thorough ripeness, softer tannins, and no greenness in the wines—but always picks before any raisiny flavors emerge.

The three also work as a team during blending trials to find the optimum blend. “Massimo has some of the best taste buds in the Napa Valley,” Tod says. “He doesn’t care about scores. He just wants to make the wine we want to make.” The team will taste together in multiple blending sessions every 1-2 weeks before bottling to ensure they get it right. “Quantity is the last consideration,” says Tod. “We still have our day jobs, and it’s all about what we put our names on,” added Kristine.

Viticulturist

A native of Orcutt, Santa Barbara County, Jason Ray is a phenomenon.

As owner and proprietor of Napa Select Vineyard Services, he’s been trusted by icons like Bob Long of Montagna, Mike Grgich of Grgich Hills, and Warren Winiarski of Stags Leap Wine Cellars to farm their vines.

Armed with a degree in Fruit Science with emphasis in Viticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he has farmed Kris Todd from the beginning in 2013—just seven years after he founded his own company.

Jason’s all over the small details of farming: expertly pruning and dropping fruit for low yields, deploying shade cloth when it’s needed, and patiently waiting to pick when his clients give him the green light.

“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.”