Crowley Vineyards is located at the top of Spring Mountain, almost 2,000-feet above St. Helena, in Napa Valley. Joan Crowley began augmenting the soil in 2000 with biodynamic preparations, minerals, compost, and manure before planting 12 acres of 110R and 1103 Paulson rootstock. She then planted French entav clones of 337, 338, and 15 Cabernet Sauvignon, with two French entav Cabernet Franc clones, some French Syrah, and a small amount of Petit Verdot.

The vineyard continues to be farmed biodynamically according to Rudolph Steiner’s teachings. This is an organic process that she equates to homeopathy for the vines and soil, believing that a healthy soil translates to long-lived, healthy plants. Compost tea, fish emulsion, and seaweed sprays augment the biodynamic preps.

The soil on the top of this part of the Mayacamas Mountains is a rich, rusty red volcanic Aiken loam – rocky, well-drained, with broad sloping saddle. Early mornings are cool and clear overlooking the fog that is a white sea down in the valley. This weather pattern creates days that are about 10 degrees cooler than the valley floor with warm evenings, and cool to cold nights are perfect for grapes and human comfort.

The vineyard was originally planted in the 1880s. Huge trunks of vines were found along with arrowheads when the soil was first ripped. The vineyard is edged with fir, pine, madrone, oak, and native dogwood. Beehives add to the millions of other honey bees that thrive on the massive organic gardens also on the property.

This unique combination of climate, soil, and the highest rainfall in Napa Valley, create a truly unique terroir that is reflected in the lush, intense flavors, fine structure, and softer tannins produced from the small berries, loose clusters, and low yields of this hillside fruit.

The grapes are currently purchased by Barnett Vineyards, Behrens/Erna Shein, Conn Creek, Robert Craig, and Vineyard 7&8.