Turnbull Wine Cellars

Turnbull Wine Cellars is a Napa Valley family-owned producer located in Oakville. Established in 1979 by William Turnbull, they focus on mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, owning roughly 200 acres of land between four vineyards in Oakville and Calistoga. In addition to top-notch wine that has scored a perfect 100 points with Wine Advocate, the Turnbull Tasting Room is home to the largest collection of Ansel Adams photography in the world. Today, many of their wines are available only through membership allocations.

Turnbull produces about 30,000 cases of wine each vintage, and is still owned and operated by several generations of the Turnbull Family. Over the years they acquired four vineyard plots, the Turnbull Estate, Fortuna, and Leopoldina vineyards in Oakville, and the Amoenus vineyard in Calistoga. Some bottlings are from single vineyards, such as the Fortuna Cabernet Sauvignon, while other offerings are a blend from blocks of multiple vineyards. The Fortuna vineyards lies at the base of the Oakville bench with red, volcanic soils, giving the Cabernet Sauvignon dark fruit notes and sweet spice. Leopoldina sits higher up on the Oakville bench, with a rocky volcanic soil that gives fruit more tannins and structure. Meanwhile, the estate vineyard, while also in Oakville, is flat with clay and loam soils, providing a more red fruit profile. The Amoenus vineyard, north in the hills of Calistoga, sits at a higher elevation along the fog line, creating a cooler environment where the fruit has more acidity. The blended Cabernet are determined each vintage based on the quantity and quality of fruit harvested.

The Pierra Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from steepest and most exposed vineyard block, is their most expensive bottling. They also produce single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from their Fortuna and Leopoldina vineyards, and their highly allocated Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet are aged in 100% new French oak for an extensive period of time before bottling, making for rich and bold examples of Napa Cabernet. In addition to their line of Cabernet, a Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and a red blend called Bonne Vivante are also made.