Atlas Peak

James Laube
Posted: March 8, 2000

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Atlas Peak

Total Acres Planted: 1,400

Total Bordeaux Varieties: 1,062 acres

REFERENCE CABERNETS: Atlas Peak Consenso and Elan

REGIONAL CHARACTER: Atlas Peak Vineyards is the lone winery with a track record for Cabernet, dating to the late 1980s, and that is rather spotty, with no exceptional Cabernets to date. The style has been for lean, medium-bodied, moderately rich wines that tend to be earthy.

William Hill planted the first vineyard in the Foss Valley area, which is east and above the Stags Leap District. He believed that this area, because of its cool, moderate climate, would be well-suited for Cabernet and lead to wines with a mountain-grown character. Though many wineries have been discouraged by the quality of the wines made from this area, it is still too early to rule out possible future successes. There are many different grapes planted in this area, including Sangiovese, Syrah and Merlot, so it still is worth watching.