by Fiona and Hal Barnett
It was 1983 and we were still living in San Francisco when we first discovered the Spring Mountain area. Our estate began as a parcel of 40 acres of undeveloped forest land at a 2,000 foot elevation, overlooking the Napa Valley. In the first year we had the land cleared and terraced for vineyards, and planted 6,000 Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the rocky soil.
Our original plan was to make small amounts of wine for ourselves and our friends, and in 1989 we produced the first vintage of Barnett Vineyards Spring Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, numbering 100 cases. But our vision expanded as wines from this intimate piece of land gained importance alongside other world-renowned Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.
Though dedicated to remaining an exceptional family-owned winery, we have continued to nurture the estate with passion and patience, and we have watched it grow to approximately 5,000 cases of handcrafted wines per year. We specialize in rich, elegant estate Cabernet Sauvignons from Rattlesnake Hill and the unique Spring Mountain District.
The total Barnett Cabernet production varies between
2,100 and 3,000 cases annually, and our future plans
include interplanting within the Cabernet vineyard,
increasing density from 9,000 to 12,000 vines. We
also produce limited amounts of Merlot, Pinot noir
and Chardonnay from single vineyards in other highly
desirable appellations.
