Ovid Napa Valley

Silent, windswept, rocky, and slightly other-wordly, Ovid is quite a drive from the valley below, but more than worth it when you get there. This jewel of a winery has garnered a legendary reputation in a short space of time, described by Antonio Galloni (Vinous) as “one of the most exciting new entrants in the world of premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.” The serene, Zen-like building, designed by Howard Backen, is perched on Pritchard Hill, 1400ft above the valley floor below. Immaculate, the winery itself lies underneath the reception and office building. The vineyards were planted in 2000 with the input of vineyard consultant David Abreu. Austin Peterson was appointed winemaker in 2006, and has held that position ever since.

All but the Experimental wines come from the organically-farmed, 15-acre vineyard around the winery. The vineyard is divided into one-acre blocks, each with a different rootstock and clone combination. Varieties planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Sustainable farming and winemaking is important here: for biodiversity, in addition to vines there is an assorted fruit and nut orchard with cherries, pomegranates, persimmons, peaches, plums and pluots. The vineyards are farmed organically with cover crops: the team at Ovid also keep bees and make and use their own compost. The solar-powered winery uses gravity-flow throughout. In winemaking, only indigenous yeasts are used.

The wines are as beautiful as the place they come from, with a rare fusion of concentration, intensity, balance, lightness of touch and elegance.