Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
In 1976, industry pioneer Bruce Markham began his journey towards locating the best vineyard sites in Napa Valley, and subsequently founded Markham Vineyards the following year, with the now local Napa legend, Bryan Del Bondio. In 1980, Markham crafted its first vintage of Napa Valley Merlot—becoming only the fourth winery in Napa Valley to make varietal Merlot—and a decade later, Markham’s flagship bottling was named “Merlot of the Year” by Wine Spectator. Today, Markham continues to be recognized for making benchmark Napa Valley Merlots, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Our wines are crafted by Winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls, who has been with Markham for over two decades. Markham is a proud custodian of 260 acres of pristine, certified sustainable vineyards and land in Napa Valley and our wines are representative of those unique terroirs from Yountville, Oak Knoll and Calistoga. Markham’s wines have earned much acclaim for their vineyard-inspired complexity and character.
Markham practices sustainability without sacrificing quality. For Markham, sustainability starts in the field and focuses on environmentally beneficial land management practices. Some of Markham’s sustainability practices include:
• Protecting the Napa River Watershed
• Water conservation in the vineyards and the winery
• Reduce carbon footprint
• Partnering with local suppliers for wine materials
• Partner with local recycling center to reduce landfill impact
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.