Yates Family Vineyards Visit – Grand Sweepstakes Winner of the 6th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition
Background:
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Yates Family Vineyards entered the 2025 6th Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition at the beginning of year. I had not heard of them, but everyone is invited to enter. Mary Yates filled out the form and submitted the wines at the last minute but still qualifying. The competition was held and as a first-time entrant, Yates Family Vineyards not only took the Best of Category ($71 to $85), Best of Show for all California (all price points) but also the Grand Sweepstakes Winner for all categories against a field of about 100 wines from 14 states and 3 countries from a distinguished panel of professional judges. A magnificent feat! I finally carved out the time to meet with the Yates Family team in early May. Besides the excellent wines, the surprises will amaze you!
The Winery:
The Yates Family Vineyard is in the southern portion of Napa Valley in the Mt Veeder district. The history of the area is intriguing and fascinating. It starts off in 1880 when the Streich brothers moved here from Germany to start a winery. They planted 65 acres of vines and then prohibition saw the winery’s demise. They worked the land and built not only a completely gravity feed process and were very much “technologists” for the 1880 era.
One of the more fascinating points of construction of their winery was the use of a Roman Press. Only two are in existence today and none are being used.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Roman wine press, a significant advancement in winemaking technology, consisted of a large, mechanical press that could process large quantities of grapes at once. It utilized a heavy wooden beam (the prelum) to apply pressure to the grapes in a basin, forcing out the juice. This design, which spread throughout Europe and the Mediterranean, was based on earlier Greek presses but was more technologically advanced, utilizing windlasses or later, screw-operated levers to raise and lower the prelum.
The press typically included a large, shallow basin to hold the grapes, a heavy wooden beam (prelum) to apply pressure, and channels to collect the flowing juice.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A system of ropes, pulleys, or screws was used to raise and lower the prelum, with a team of workers operating the mechanism at the far end of the beam. The massive piece of wood was a single tree, and the basins were concrete or wood. The Roman wine press “revolutionized” winemaking by significantly increasing juice yields and increase the production of wine. The juice was then pumped out of the bins to start the fermentation process.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
They also had brought or constructed a large screw press for harvesting the grapes to make wine.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Yates Family has preserved all the equipment from the original owners and it was like stepping back in a time machine.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Today they make their wine off-site.
The Vineyards:
Photo ©Michael Kelly
In 1949 Alden Perry Yates purchased the land and planted 35 acres of vines taking out many fruit trees.
While the Yates Family Vineyards land amounts to 272 acres, most of the land is extremely steep with forests covering the property. Only 35 acres of ruggedly steep land is farmed for grapes with the hillsides going up 1,200 feet elevation.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Today Yates Family produces besides their award-winning Cabernet Franc, a Viognier, a Proprietary red blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. I was able to taste the Merlot which was thick, savory, rich, decadent and a chewable Merlot which was delicious. It might as well be called “Gunslinger” from my perspective!
The total amount of wine produced is only 800 cases with most going to their small wine club. The balance of 100 tons of beautiful, cultivated mountain fruit goes to some of the most prestigious wineries in Napa. Many have the Yates Family Vineyards designation on their bottle.
Photo from Yates Family website of Lynn and Mike Yates
Today, Mike Yates, son of Perry Yates, heads up vineyard management and winemaking with his oldest daughter Whitney. Mary Yates, the younger daughter, heads up the marketing and business side of the winery.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
There is a funny background story to how they started making Cabernet Franc. Lynn, Mike’s wife, very much appreciated the intricacies of Cabernet Franc and asked him to make some. Mike obliged her and said whether it was good or bad that the one barrel produced was hers to drink if they couldn’t sell it!
The Cabernet Franc is produced using 50% new French oak barrels with medium toast, for 18 months. Then rested in the bottle for 2 years before being released! Mike is not a fan of pyrazines in his Cabernet Franc, so this is a smoother and silkier finish. It comes in at 15.1% alcohol and only 126 cases were produced. It sells for $80/bottle when available.
This is just a smidgeon of our 3-hour discussion and my history lesson on their property and winery. I was able to taste the 2021 Cabernet Franc and what a treat! The next article on Yates Family Vineyards will be about their Cabernet Franc tasting notes and food pairing.
Stay tuned….
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly