Heading west up the Oakville Grade from Napa, or coming east on Trinity Road from Sonoma, is one of the rights of passage when you first visit Napa and Sonoma. Incredibly steep and full of twists and turns, you climb from one valley into the mountains and extraordinary redwoods of the Mayacamas range and come down into the other valley. The 11 miles take about half an hour. Halfway up, at the peak of the ridge, there is a side road that even those who have crossed the pass many times will not have noticed. It already feels remote within the majestic surroundings, but as you take the small side road and head north up the ridge, you feel you are in uncharted territory. The road leads to Bald Mountain, the second highest peak in the mountain range. The vineyard itself is remarkable. In a cool bowl at the bottom of the site we found exactly what we were looking for in Chardonnay plantings. The vineyard is not irrigated — a rarity in California, which we believe leads to more balanced vine health, as well as deeper root systems that bring more complexity to the fruit. Planted in 1972, the vineyard is dedicated to heritage California clones that thrive in poor soils and develop a true depth of texture and flavor. Thornton Vineyard, the second source for Myrna, is one that excites us equally and adds a unique dimension of Pacific Ocean influence and vineyard altitude. The vineyard lies directly west of the town of Sonoma, at the southern base of Sonoma Mountain in an area that falls under both the Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. The vines, nearly thirty years of age, look east and capture a ripeness that balances the wine on a knife’s edge.
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