The wine in your glass began long ago with a promise to honor this land and our heritage. Ours is a Napa story. It started here on Old Soda Springs Road in 1974. Through decades of growth, fire, and renewal, we’ve embodied the principles that Herb and Margaret taught us: resilience, respect, precision, and passion. Our process, from soil to glass, is meticulous and resonant. We are honored to share it with you.
From Soil to Glass
Every choice we make is deliberate. We farm, harvest, and sort our clusters by hand, then finish selection through an optical sorter so only pristine berries advance. We use free-run juice to capture the purest expression of the grape. We age our wine in new French oak and seal each bottle with 100% Spanish cork.
We have refined our methods over time to ensure that each step is exact and essential. The result is a Cabernet Sauvignon of richness and clarity that can be savored today and for many tomorrows.
Estate-Bottled
“Estate-bottled” means accountability. In the United States, it is a protected term. It requires that 100% of the grapes be grown on land owned by the bottling winery, the winery and vineyard lie within the same AVA named on the label, and all winemaking processes (crushing, fermentation, aging, finishing, bottling) take place on the bottling winery’s premises.
Our grapes are grown at our Silverado Summers Vineyard, and our wine is produced, aged, and bottled by us at Old Soda Springs Winery. Our land. Our team. Our standard of care, from pruning to bottling. Our unity of practice and purpose culminates in a wine that embodies our heritage and passion with every delicious drop.
Our Eva & Jonas Blocks
One vineyard, two blocks, each with a distinct expression. The Eva and Jonas blocks are named for the third generation of Kaufmans to call this land their own. The Eva block sits on the valley floor; the Jonas block climbs a gentle hillside of the Silverado Bench. When replanting from 2015 to 2017, we rotated the rows to catch the afternoon sun.
Both blocks are Cabernet Sauvignon from heritage Napa selections, prized for small berries, deep phenolics, and fine ageability. Though they share the same vine material, their rootstocks differ. These distinctions in slope, soil, exposure, and rootstock bring subtle differences in tannin profile, structure, and overall character.
Picked by Hand
We farm sustainably, with respect for the earth and attention to detail. We prune vine by vine, thin the crop, train the canopy, and harvest all by hand because human touch is evident in the result. We turn weeds with a shovel, not spray, and minimize the use of heavy machinery because the fruit requires delicacy. Our process may be slower, but it preserves the integrity and artistry of winemaking. A small price to pay for an exceptional Cabernet.
Optical Sorting
Sublimity requires meticulous selection, not chance. We combine tradition with innovation by hand-harvesting and sorting clusters, then utilizing a camera-guided optical sorter to remove anything that will not serve the wine. What advances is the ideal fruit for an outstanding wine.
Free-Run Juice
The heart of our Cabernet Sauvignon comes from free-run juice, the portion that flows naturally under its own weight without pressing. It brings a pure, subtle, and more nuanced flavor, full of texture and vitality. For a touch of structure and spice, we may add a small amount of press wine, which has been aged separately. Our principles stay constant: passion sustained by precision, artistry, and integrity.
New French Oak
French oak barrels add depth and dimension to the wine that we just cannot get from stainless steel. Oak has been used to age the world’s great wines for centuries. We work with the finest French cooperages, Taransaud, Sylvain, and Darnajou, to craft barrels to our specifications.
Each barrel is a work of art in its own right, cut from fine‑grain oak and gently toasted to draw forth subtle notes of vanilla, spice, and toasted almond. New French oak subtly supports the wine with quiet complexity and refined tannins, allowing the inherent character of our Cabernet Sauvignon to shine through. Tradition, craftsmanship, and excellence are worth the effort.
Our Consummate Winemaker
We have high standards, but they need to be when you’re committed to creating exceptional wine. We work with integrity and respect for the traditions we steward. We strive for sublimity, with each bottle expressing the beauty of this place and our love for viticulture. We hope our wine fosters connection with friends, family, and the world.
Ashley Hepworth, our gifted, award-winning winemaker, embodies these standards and then some. She is as curious as she is accomplished. She pays close attention to nuance and challenges, adapting when it serves while staying true to tradition. She aims for perfection, yet keeps room for the human touch and artistry that this craft requires.
With Ashley’s leadership, we pour our passion into every bottle we produce. We are grateful to her and to you for raising your glass with us.
Rooted in Community
Old Soda Springs is a family endeavor rooted in Napa Valley. We honor the land by farming it ourselves, by choosing stewardship over shortcuts, and by passing on age-old traditions to future generations. Our wine is our legacy, but so is the care we extend to our neighbors and to this valley we love.
