KrisTodd Vineyards was founded by Kristine and Tod Ratfield. For many years Tod has run a successful law practice in Walnut Creek (San Francisco Bay Area) focusing on business, real estate and entertainment law. It was through his law practice that he met Kris. Before they began KrisTodd Vineyards, they would often visit Napa Valley and over time began to gravitate towards wines being produced from Howell Mountain. As Kristine says, it was their mutual love of these wines and the beauty of Howell Mountain that attracted them to this part of Napa Valley. And as they discovered after moving to Howell Mountain, it is a very tight knit community, especially among the vintners – with neighbors often offering advice or help as needed.
One of their early tastings was at what was Ladera Winery (now home of Cade at 13th Vineyard) for Tod’s 50th birthday. During these trips to the valley, they met the Mike and Terry Lamborn (Lamborn Family Vineyards). Before their own vineyard was even planted and producing, they decided to make wine. With the help of Mike Lamborn, they picked some Cabernet Sauvignon from his vineyard (also located on Howell Mountain) and used this to create a 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon for the first vintage of KrisTodd in 2009.
In 2011 the Ratfields purchased 4.5 acres high on the slopes of Howell Mountain – a site that had never been planted to grapes. In 2013 they planted three acres to several clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and later a small planting of Cabernet Franc which runs around the fence line on the perimeter of the property. Vineyard Manager Jason Ray, of Napa Select Vineyard Services oversees the site. This is quite possibly the smallest site he manages among his 1,000+ vineyard acre portfolio.
The property is about 1,800 feet in elevation and is extremely rocky. A Caterpillar D8 was brought in to rip the vineyard, but even this sizable piece of equipment struggled to break up parts of the rocky volcanic cap. Ultimately there was so much rock in places they had to abandon a small portion of their intended vineyard site and simply plant around this area. Rocks the size of cars were discovered. Today their vineyard ranges in soil depth from merely 18 inches to several feet.
For their winemaker Massimo Monticelli, wine is life; he has spent nearly his entire life in and around the wine industry and enjoys both making wine and drinking wine. His father was also a winemaker and later an executive for GALLO. Massimo is spirited, enthusiastic and extremely passionate about the hands-on part of wine making. Once on the fast track to be a doctor, his family roots called out and he changed career paths eventually earning his masters in winemaking from UC Davis. Along with making his own wine and the wines for KrisTodd, he also consults for a number of other small producers. He has access to exceptional Napa Valley vineyard sources; he uses a soccer analogy in regard to his winemaking, “the goalie is out of the cage and it’s his job to tap it in.” He doesn’t take credit for the wines – rather deflects praise on his vineyard sources.
Kristine’s favorite wine is Cabernet Sauvignon – and one day while sitting by their pool she casually mentioned to Tod, “what if we made a rosé from Cabernet Sauvignon, something a bit more robust that we can enjoy in the summer next to the pool”? Ultimately, they created a rosé from their estate Cabernet Sauvignon (focusing on using grapes from vines growing towards the end of their rows) and since their first wine, this has become one of their most popular wines and subsequently production has increased.
Select Wines
Sauvignon Blanc
The 2023 KrisTodd Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is pale straw in color; the lively and layered bouquet smells like a combination of spring and summer in the glass with both floral, stone fruits and citrus. Its aromas include honeysuckle, star jasmine, citrus blossom, white pineapple, grapefruit, passion fruit, guava and some herbal notes including of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and a lemon zest. This wine is balanced on both the bouquet and the palate, expressing plenty of California sunshine but also with a varietal restraint. On the palate there are flavors of ripe honeydew and crenshaw melon, white nectarine, Babcock peach, pineapple guava, golden delicious apples, pineapple and a lingering note of ginger. Across the palate it is aqueous but with plenty of flavor. Its mouth feel sports a creamy and supple texture which glides across the palate as smoothly as if you were to run your fingers across the fur of a young Miniature Schnauzer.
The 2020 KrisTodd Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is medium yellow this is a fun wine to smell as it warms up in the glass. While cold its aromatics show as more green and citrusy with notes of lemongrass and lemon lime. As it warms these scents evolve rather dramatically into something more tropical including white nectarine and other stone fruits. And let it continue to breath; it becomes more floral with notes of jasmine and honeysuckle. The texture is creamy with a noticeable rounded softness which glides over the palate. This bottling offers flavors of red apple, pear, mandarin and some minerality notes. The prolonged and rich finish lingers with plenty of fruit including mango.
Regardless of vintage, the KrisTodd Sauvignon Blanc is always ripe and never under ripe or over ripe. It is consistently never green nor grassy, nor is it tropical, which is a character that is a result of over ripeness.
Rosé
The 2023 KrisTodd Vineyards Howell Mountain Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petite Sirah. This wine is deep pink and is not lacking for color. The bouquet offers an intense yet also refreshing aromatic profile with its most prominent scents that of berries including strawberry, raspberry and cranberry accompanied by watermelon, hibiscus, ruby grapefruit, mint, library book and assorted dried herbs. On the palate there are flavors of strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate and watermelon jolly rancher. Its texture is a hallmark character with a fleshy, creamy and supple mouth feel. Lingers bright on the long finish with a persistent red berry attribute and an accompanying note of white pepper/pink peppercorn spice. There are loads of fruit here on both the bouquet and palate. Perhaps pair with a grilled shrimp taco; let us recommend the ones served at La Taquiza in the city of Napa.
The 2021 KrisTodd Vineyards Rosé is an intriguing and unusual rosé made from their estate by saignee; it is a blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Refosco. The Refosco is sourced every year for this wine from a tiny front yard vineyard in the southern part of the valley. Refosco is an Italian variety that typically produces darker colored and often tannic wines. It is rarely grown in Napa Valley; the only other producer in Napa we know of growing this is Steve Matthiasson. This wine is deep pink in color; the bouquet reveals aromas of dark raspberry, jolly rancher watermelon hard-candy and a minerality/dusty note. The aromas are mirrored to some extent on the palate with both raspberry and watermelon but also notes of pomegranate and tangelo. The texture is light creamy complemented by a richness of fruit with a perceived slight sweetness across the palate. This is an easy drinking wine that one can enjoy before popping the cork on their Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2017 KrisTodd Vineyards Rosé is a blend of 98% estate Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Refosco. The Cabernet Sauvignon for the rosé was left on the skins for 3 days; this wine is dark red and is darker than most rosés. Immediately shows layered fruit aromatics including cranberry, apple, strawberry and raspberry. Extremely flavorful it reveals some surprising weight across the palate without being heavy, perhaps tempered by the bright acidity. A pleasing suppleness across the palate is certainly an attractive characteristic of this wine. It lingers with plenty of fruit and perhaps an unusual flavor for a rosé – a hint of tobacco leaf which isn’t immediately noticeable but shows up on the finish.
Cabernet Sauvigon
The 2019 KrisTodd Vineyards Howell Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal and was aged for 24 months in new French oak barrels. This wine is deep ruby and opaque; generous across the bouquet, it offers ripe aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, dark blackberry and Pakistani mulberry. Very much centered on its fruit character the oak adds some additional layers, including of mocha and vanilla. A mouthful of dark berries and cherries, this wine tastes like blackberry, dark cherry, boysenberry and mulberry. It offers an uncommon intensity of flavor. The grippy, gritty and dusty tannins persist in tandem with the fruit on the extended finish. This wine is extremely cellar worthy. Best paired with a barbecue beef brisket, a warm Howell Mountain evening, a pool, and great friends.
The 2019 KrisTodd Vineyards Howell Mountain KT2 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal and was aged for 30 months in new French oak barrels. This wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque. Blind wine tastings are always the most humbling experiences, but we would like to think we could pick this out of the lineup of other 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon because the bouquet is distinctive enough. It reveals aromas of dried herbs, including rosemary and thyme; these aromatics reminded us of riding around Paros, Greece on a scooter during a backpacking trip post college during the summer, smelling the wonderful fragrances of the wild garigue on the hillsides. Additional scents include dark chocolate, a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, dark raspberry, dried fig and plum. Simultaneously both plush and powerful on the palate the flavors here are primarily dark fruited, including blackberry, plum and boysenberry. This is a fully ripe, but not over ripe expression of the variety. Lingers with a note of toasted oak and grainy and gravelly tannins of a moderate and drying grip. This wine is not made every year, and is only produced when they identify an exceptional barrel or two.
The 2018 KrisTodd Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (100% varietal) is dark ruby and opaque in the glass. The bouquet is ripe with scents of blackberry, chocolate covered dark cherries and an espresso/mocha nuance as the wine further evolves in the glass. There is a noticeable union of cedar and dried tobacco leaf across the palate along with flavors of Santa Rosa plum, darker cherry and some dark baking spices. The dried tobacco leaf note continues on the dark and savory finish showing crushed pepper and grainy and persistent tannins.
The 2014 KrisTodd Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (100% varietal) is dark ruby color in the glass; the bouquet presents a wide diversity of elegant aromatics. This wine is fun to let sit in the glass and revisit over time. Shows aromas of ripe plum, licorice, Asian spices, cigar, a hint of dry dust and a darker spice component. As the wine continues to breathe, subtle sweet aromas show including notes of mocha. Noticeable on the palate is the mouthwatering acidity especially towards the finish. Juicy with flavors of blackberry and plum. Very long finish with a firm grip of tannins (but not course in texture) which linger for some time.
The 2009 KrisTodd Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal and was produced from grapes sourced from Lamborn Vineyards. This wine is all about the fruit both on the bouquet and on the palate with less influence from oak aging than perhaps the 2014 vintage (and of course this wine was produced from a different vineyard). Shows mostly darker fruit aromas along with black licorice and cassis. Richly flavored and layered still offers plenty of tannins. This wine has aged well and obviously has plenty more life ahead of it.
Tastings, Vintner’s Collective
KrisTodd is a part of a coveted collection of vintners represented at Vintner’s Collective, the city of Napa’s oldest collective tasting room. Vintner’s Collective showcases wines from a select group of mostly Napa Valley based producers most of which do not have their own tasting rooms. And it’s not easy to have one’s wines represented here. Vintner’s Collective has an in-depth vetting process to make sure the wines match what their customers are interested in, including varieties, price points and wine styles.
The tasting flights differ everyday which is certainly part of the appeal for visitors. Unless you are acutely tuned into the world of boutique Napa Valley producers, you probably will never have heard of any of the labels that are being poured, and that is not a bad thing. The wines represented are typically from producers who have a maximum annual production of 1,000 cases. A number of tasting flights are offered – geared towards all levels of wine interest and prior knowledge.
Walk-in customers are generally welcome if space allows but appointments can also be requested including for more private tastings hosted upstairs. And when Chris is in the valley, he will sometimes stop by Vintner’s Collective to showcase his own wines or host private tastings.
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In addition to being tasted and sold at Vintner’s Collective, the KrisTodd wines are primarily sold direct via their website and wine club. Total production is only about 500 cases a year. KrisTodd is a member of the Howell Mountain Vintners Association and participates in select tasting events throughout the year including arguably the finest tasting organized by the association, the annual Taste of Howell Mountain always hosted at Charles Krug Winery in June.
For more information, to purchase current release wines or to join their wine club, visit: www.kristoddvineyards.com
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