Saintsbury

Saintsbury has been family-owned and operated since 1981 and was one of the early Northern California houses to take Pinot Noir and Chardonnay seriously. That head start shows in the vineyard sources and in how settled the wines feel.

The estate is in Carneros at the southern end of Napa, where fog off the bay keeps the ripening slow and the acidity intact, which is precisely what these two grapes need. The range stays narrow and deliberate: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, plus Cellarbook and Footnotes bottlings. Tastings are by appointment at the Home Ranch. Michael scores it 8 across ambiance, wine and staff, one of the strongest overall marks in this collection. A natural first stop coming up from the bay on a southern Napa route.