Lynch Knoll Terroir

In 1995 Dan Lynch cleared 5 acres of hilly terrain from his 18-acre parcel of chaparral-covered land on lower Spring Mountain, in the heart of the Spring Mountain appellation. The first vines were planted - 2.5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, an acre each of Syrah and Sangiovese, and a half-acre of Merlot for blending - on what is now known as "Lynch Knoll"

Located above St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, which separate the Napa and Sonoma valleys, Lynch Knoll lies in the district that is the coolest and wettest in the Napa Valley and has some of its steepest terrain. The land is characterized by old, sedimentary soil that is neither deep nor rich and is stressful to the vines, limiting their growth and root structure. Yields tend to be lower, about 1 to 2 tons per acres, but the fruit is intense.

At 400 feet above the valley floor and 800 feet above sea level, Lynch Knoll has a distinctive microclimate. While fog often covers vineyards lower in the valley at sunrise, Lynch Knoll is usually above the fog, so it gets sunlight earlier and has correspondingly warmer mornings. As the fog burns off and the valley floor heats up, so does Lynch Knoll, though, again, altitude keeps it a few degrees cooler than down below. On the mountain, the sun sinks over the ridgeline earlier than on the flats, causing long, cool afternoons, cool evenings and cold nights. The overall result is that Spring Mountain is generally cooler than the valley.

What that means in the vineyard is that the vines flower about two to three weeks after those on the valley floor, and the growing season is a little longer, creating grapes that have good natural balance, with slightly higher acid levels and lower ph. The cooler nights also produce darker grapes having deeper, richer color. The resulting Lynch wines are representative of the Spring Mountain reds, which are known for their deep color, great mouthfeel and texture, soft tannins, and rich flavors in the finish.