Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

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I never felt compelled to make my own wine until I visited Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard. It felt like coming home. A foreign outcrop of stony, tough soil in the middle of the typically soft and rich valley floor… it looks more like Bordeaux than St. Helena. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but one look and I knew this place would make great wine, and I needed to make that wine for myself.

Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is one of the heritage vineyards owned and farmed by the Beckstoffer family, and has been planted to vineyard for over 150 years. The clone 4 Cabernet Sauvignon vines we use are lyre-trained to let in light and air. The Beckstoffers and I have collaborated over the years to dial in the farming of my portion, in particular, the use of shade cloth to late in the season. The soft filtered light in the heat of summer helps us maintain even ripening, allowing us approachability without sacrificing ageability in the finished wine.

The wines grown from this rocky site are structured and masculine. Left bank-inspired, but very much at home in St. Helena, as I am. This connection with home inspired the crest on the Fait-Main label, from my hometown in Lyon.