(Pictured Right - Clone sprouts from Caldwell Nursery)
John Caldwell’s plan was to build houses on his 123-acre Napa Valley property. With extraordinary views, a convenient location and lots of privacy, the project seemed like a no-brainer. He submitted plans to the county and even built a fine road and fancy gate to impress perspective buyers. Unfortunately, a new crop of supervisors chanting a “no growth” mantra put an end to John’s brief career as real estate mogul.
With his hopes to build an upscale subdivision buried under bureaucratic red dirt, John turned his attention to grapes. Although there were few vineyards in his immediate area, he intuitively felt his picturesque site could produce superb fruit, comparable to the Valley’s top appellations. While John had little prior experience with wine, the project wasn’t entirely out of left field. The Caldwell family, in fact, had been involved in the California winegrowing business for over 120 years. The family originally settled in Cloverdale, California in the 1880s before moving to the Napa Valley in the 1960s.
A trip to France and a chance visit to Ch. Haut Brion inspired his interest in clonal research. He planted his first block (including a few vines smuggled in from Bordeaux) in 1982 and harvested Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc in 1985. Positive comments from some of the industry’s most respected palates inspired John to expand his plantings. He also built a nursery to supply the state’s top wineries with the latest clones and rootstocks from France.
In the early 1990s, the Caldwell property gained international exposure thanks to the highly praised Chardonnay and Merlot vineyard-designate bottlings of Pahlmeyer Winery. Since that time, the acreage devoted to vines and the nursery have expanded dramatically and the list of clients has grown to include Phelps, Mura, Maris, Neiman, and Viader.
The Caldwell label was launched in 1998 with 400 cases of proprietary red wine. In 1999, Caldwell produced 800 cases of a blend composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The 2000 vintage consists of 690 cases.
