Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Pellet Estate is a rare, authentically grown, and classically made wine. The Estate is a spectacular vineyard site in the small town of St. Helena, with a rich history dating back to 1859. Henry Pellet, one of the founding pioneers of Napa Valley winemaking, first planted this site with a vision of producing wines that would be among the best in the world. In 2005, owner Greg Krill and his wife Robin purchased 5 acres of this original historic property to found Pellet Estate . His first order of business was to pull out the existing vineyard and replant according modern practices of trellising, row orientation and vineyard management techniques. They then assembled a dream team to perfect every aspect including winemaker Tom Rinaldi, an icon in Napa Valley who was the founding winemaker for Duckhorn, Provenance & Hewitt to name a few.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.