Press & Lifestyle

"In a region filled with traditional vineyards, High Ranch stands as a reminder that some of Napa Valley’s most exciting stories are still unfolding. Some are just getting started—grounded in history, shaped by science, and spread across four rocky acres overlooking one of the valley’s oldest volcanic landscapes."

High Ranch Vineyard has a winner right out of the gate.

"High Ranch Vineyard has been building toward this moment for more than 15 years. That patience may be what is most compelling about this hillside estate. Long before their inaugural vintage earned a 99-point score from critic Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, Connie and Shawn Guttersen were studying the contours, soils, and exposures of their four-acre site above the Coombsville fog line, determined to understand the land before making a single bottle of wine."

"Owned by longtime Napa residents Connie and Shawn Guttersen, High Ranch is poised to redefine the potential of the Coombsville region. The sloped, west-facing vineyard sits on an opposite hillside saddle adjacent to the famed Kongsgaard “The Judge” Chardonnay parcel on land that was once part of the historic High Ranch property. Its elevated exposure and stony, well-drained Hambright soils create a rare microclimate perched just above the Coombsville fog line."

Napa Valley’s High Ranch Vineyard has announced its inaugural release, a 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. The limited-production wine is made by winemaker Sam Kaplan— known for projects like Memento Mori, Maxem, Vida Valiente, and Arkenstone—with oversight from Connie Guttersen, co-owner of the brand with her husband Shawn. High Ranch’s 4.2-acre Cabernet Sauvignon site in the Coombsville AVA overlooks the Kongsgaard “The Judge” Vineyard.

"Coombsville is quickly becoming the premier Napa Valley appellation for sourcing Cabernet grapes, and this wine from a producer with vineyards there is just exceptional. It has dense, almost chewy, dark purple fruits, mainly creamy blackberries well accented by barrel notes and supple tannins and is almost granular in texture. Overall, it emphasizes balanced richness rather than complexity. It is one of the best bottles coming from winemaker Sam Kaplan, who also makes wine for Arkenstone, among others."