Barlow Vineyards

Barlow Vineyards is located in the northern part Napa Valley along the Silverado Trail (about a 6 minute drive nearly due east of downtown Calistoga).

Barlow Vineyards was founded in 1994 by two generations of the Smith family including Warren Barlow Smith (using his middle name as the namesake for the winery) and his wife Jeanne Smith along with their son Barr Smith (a geology major) and his wife Ann. All were from Orange County. Warren & Jeanne used to vacation in Napa Valley for decades starting in the 1950s; they began looking to purchase ‘wine country’ property as early as the 1970s but it wasn’t until 1994 when they purchased their current property.

While both couples were visiting Napa Valley, Barr and Ann’s young son Zachary became hungry while they were driving through Calistoga. They pulled over at the long-time still in business, restaurant Cafe Sarafornia (known for their all day breakfast). While there, a real estate agent overheard their interest in purchasing land and approached them about a nearby 50-acre property for sale. Both family’s and the agent drove to the site, fell in love with the property and decided to buy it that day.

The property was already planted to vines at the time of their purchase but like many vineyards planted in Napa Valley at that time, part of the vineyard was planted with AXR rootstock, and the vines had succumbed to phyloxxera. Ultimately the Barlow’s oversaw the replanting of these vines soon after their purchase. Today the property is planted to 36 acres of vines.

In the early years they exclusively sold fruit from grapes that were already planted on the property. They have since planted additional acreage and grow a number of varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Zinfandel. They continue to sell the majority of the grapes they produce (upwards of 85%) to select Napa Valley based wineries. Nearby vineyard neighbors include Maple Lane Vineyard owned by Cakebread Cellars and the well-known Three Palms Vineyard, owned by Duckhorn.

The family started making home wine in the mid 1990s; their ‘micro’ winemaker at the time, Art Finkelstein (founder of Judd’s Hill Winery) encouraged them to start making wine commercially. Today accomplished winemaker Corey Beck oversees their production. Their first release in 1997 was merely 25 cases; this sold out quickly. Today they produce around 1,500 cases annually, entirely from estate fruit except for their Sauvignon Blanc.

Both Warren and Jeanne have passed on, but their family continues to operate the vineyards and produce wine. Barr eventually moved to the valley; he and Ann oversee all their winery operations and their daughter Alyssa is often involved – especially during harvest.

The property is located in a quiet part of the valley; their vineyards are planted next to the Silverado Trail and wrap around a small knoll which rises from the valley floor. Alyssa, who we first met with years ago, recalls when they moved here, they were living in an old trailer until they were able to renovate an ancient farmhouse. She grew up on the property and still lives in Napa Valley. Zachary is the vineyard manager for the property and also manages most of their distributor accounts.

Year in and year out, Barlow Vineyards consistently produces wines of balanced acidity, restraint and finesse, with their estate bottlings meant to be consumed upon release but always having the attributes and proven history of being long-lived. Despite nearly 3 decades of producing with the property having been touched by four generations of the Smith family, they are still one of Napa Valley’s better kept secrets. And they keep the prices of their bottles very reasonable considering the pricing of many other contemporary Napa Valley wines.

Select Wines
Whites/Rosé
The 2023 Barlow Vineyards Rosé Napa Valley is of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; the grapes for this bottling are left on the skins for 24 hours so it becomes darker than a typical rosé. It is deep salmon in color; a playful aromatic party in the glass, the bouquet sports scents of dried rose petals, white peach, rhubarb, wild strawberries, watermelon jolly rancher, freshly mowed lawn and a subtle hint of vanilla. Minerally, flinty, crisp and clean, the palate echoes the bouquet and offers flavors of raspberry, strawberry, red apple and watermelon. Lingers with a very subtle note of tarragon. We would love to pair this with a Crab Louie salad. We remember this delicious seasonal special meal from our youth. Its been far too long since we’ve had a proper Crab Louie.

The 2023 Barlow Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley is deep straw in color; two aromatics immediately jumped out of the glass as we were nosing this wine: pineapple and comise pear. As the wine evolves in the glass it opens to notes of honeydew melon, spring florals including honeysuckle, white nectarine, passion fruit, kiwi, vanilla and deeper in the bouquet, a very light herbal note (lemongrass). The spirited and lively palate offers flavors of pomelo, pencil shavings (no we are not in the habit of chewing on pencils, although we vividly remember doing so in kindergarten and being highly reprimanded by one of the stern nuns at the Catholic school we were attending – and hey, one Santa Barbara Sauvignon is even named Pencil Shavings), lemon juice, tangerine, grapefruit, pear and passion fruit. This refreshing bottling is perfectly saddled between the green attributes inherent to this variety and the more tropical notes expressed with riper bottlings of Sauvignon Blanc. The lightly creamy texture is balanced nicely by the bright and lingering acidity.

Reds
The Barrouge is a Bordeaux styled blend, always dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 Barlow Vineyards Barrouge is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque in the glass; the bouquet offers a union of both primary fruit characteristics and secondary aromatics. These include sweetly fruited scents of blackberry jam, boysenberry preserves, dark plum and black cherry accompanied by pipe tobacco, coffee beans, espresso, mocha, dried rosemary and smoked sage. The pate is full of dark brambly blackberry fruits, a dark peppery spice, Santa Rosa plum (this variety was developed by noted horticulturist, Luther Burbank in Santa Rosa, about a 30 minute drive from Barlow Vineyards) and a woodsy spice including toasted cedar. The grainy, pixelated and firmly structured tannins fully envelop the palate and persist far beyond the fruit on the finish. We would love to pair this with a warm summer day in Calistoga, with good friends, and a well-marbled steak covered in a dry rub from the BBQ.

The 2012 Barlow Vineyards Barrouge was blended with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. They use a specific block of Cabernet Sauvignon every year in this wine from vines that tend to produce approachable bottlings – especially in their youth. This vintage shows aromas of blackberry with a kiss of vanilla and cocoa powder; it is very approachable on the palate, rounded, balanced with bright acidity. This is a pleasing food wine that also drinks nicely by itself. Well integrated somewhat supple tannins anchor the smooth finish, their texture perhaps a product of this particular vintage. Less than 400 cases were produced.

The 2009 Barlow Vineyards Barrouge was tasted 15 years post vintage from a half bottle. This wine is deep ruby in color; the nose shows some bottle bouquet with aromas of damp potting soil, dried cherry, baked blackberry, plum, boysenberry, blackberry and suede. But there are other aromas at play here including a dark tobacco spice, bittersweet chocolate, mocha, ginger snaps, cinnamon and caramel. The bouquet still offers loads of fruit but at this age, also some tertiary characteristics. The palate is focused and bright with flavors of plum, dark raspberry, blackberry and dark chocolate. The bright, savory and juicy finish lingers with gravelly textured tannins, a light drying character, dried sage and a note of dried tobacco leaf. This wine is still remarkably lively and youthful, especially from a small format bottle.

The common starter conversation when it comes to Napa Valley grown and bottled Petit Verdot is there is not much of it produced. And that is true, in comparison to other red wines from the valley. We have never tallied the number of Petit Verdot wines produced in the valley, but we are always surprised by how many we taste each year from various producers. The 2021 Barlow Vineyards Petit Verdot (100% varietal) is deep ruby and nearly opaque; the bouquet is well endowed in terms of its ripe fruit aromatics. These include dark plum, black cherry, boysenberry jam along with red licorice, a floral note including violets, dry earth, mocha, espresso, vanilla and toasted oak. The bright, savory, and earthy palate offers flavors of plum, cherry, blackberry and boysenberry with additional flavors of chalk and dried herbs include sage. The grainy and gravelly textured tannins persist with a drying character, ultimately outrunning the fruit on the juicy finish. This wine has the energy of a teenager, accompanied by a stamina to age for years to come with the proper cellaring. BBQ short ribs please with our favorite home made sauce including a healthy pinch of cayenne.

The 2021 Barlow Vineyards Zinfandel is medium to deep ruby in color; the bouquet offers a range of aromatics including plum, lavender, dark cherry, bramble, blood orange, boysenberry, clove, white pepper, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate and toast. A bright showing on the palate, this is a refreshing expression from a variety that is often presented as jammy, over ripe and sometimes sweet. This wine has absolutely none of those characteristics. The palate sports flavors of red cherry, red currant, plum, and raspberry. Not shy in terms of texture in its youth, the grainy, chalky and chewy tannins exert a firm and long lasting dusty grip on the red-fruited finish. Needs some time in bottle for its texture to more fully resolve. This wine finishes bright. Pair with spicy marinade covered BBQ steak skewers.

Their Merlot tends to be a robust wine and is often appreciated by Cabernet Sauvignon drinker looking for more layers and complexity than a ‘typical’ California Merlot. The 2012 Barlow Vineyards Merlot features a fairly complex nose. It shows darker fruit notes on the bouquet including black cherry and touches of mocha are revealed as this wine opens. The entry is approachable, and the mouth feel is somewhat silky in nature but quickly gains in complexity across the palate. The tannins are broadly distributed towards the finish and flavors of plum delicately linger for some time.

The 2006 Barlow Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (100% varietal) was tasted 18 years post vintage out of a half bottle. This wine is deep ruby with some light brickish tones in the rim of the glass; the first words we wrote down were simply, “it smells great” as we never know how older wines will age, especially from small format bottles. The moody and brooding bouquet offers aromas of dried blackberries and cherries, damp potting soil, pipe tobacco, old leather, cedar box, dark chocolate, chocolate brownie, toasted walnut, toffee and coffee. The bouquet at this age is showing primarily tertiary aromatics. On the palate there are flavors of blackberry pie, boysenberry jam, dark plum and dark cherry with a tart fruited finish. A vein of lively acidity flows unencumbered across the palate. The palate shows less of its age than the bouquet. The gravelly textured tannins still offer a moderate to firm grip, fully coating the palate with a persistent chalky, chewy and dusty character. The first pairing that popped into our mind when trying this wine was an aged gouda cheese, filled with plenty of crystals (calcium salt of lactic acid).

The 2012 Barlow Vineyards Family Selection is their first vintage of this very limited production premium wine. It is a barrel selection from what they feel are the finest barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon from their property each year. Only three barrels of this vintage were produced. The wine is 100% varietal. Immediately shows an appealing bouquet with a sweetness of fruit, layered with notes of chocolate and mocha – it is somewhat briary with aromas of blackberry. This wine is a good example that big structure and big flavor and can still be balanced. Muscular wood and grape tannins anchor a very long finish. Bright acidity also. This wine is very age worthy. It is available as a single or as a three pack in a customized wooden box.

—

Vineyard visits are always highly personalized and conducted with a family member – usually with Barr but sometimes with Alyssa.

For several years Barlow Vineyards was a part of a shared tasting room called Up Valley Vintners in downtown Calistoga. Unfortunately, this tasting room closed down in late 2016. Possible plans call for seeing visitors at a local winery where their production is housed – a winery that also offers a variety of hospitality spaces and wine caves.

Their wines are primarily sold direct through their wine club, but they are also selectively distributed in 10+ states including Texas and several southern and east coast states. The wines also see very limited representation in parts of Canada. They maintain a limited number of library wines, some of which are available for sale on their website.

Can’t make it to the Napa Valley to see the Barlow family? They participate in a select number of wine tasting events across the country including the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival and the Taste of Vail. For more information, to join one of their “Reds Only” wine club options, or to purchase wines, visit: www.barlowvineyards.com