Clif Family Winery

Laura Barrett

Laura Barrett brings her passion for wine, a life-long love of science and attention to detail to winemaking at Clif Family. Inspired by her first harvest in New Zealand, Laura received a Masters in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California, Davis and trained under some of Napa Valley’s most celebrated winemakers. With a vineyard-driven approach and a focus on organic farming, Laura is enthusiastic about working to create balanced and elegant wines.

Estate Cold Springs Vineyard, Howell Mountain

The Clif Family Winery Cold Springs vineyard is located on the south side of Howell Mountain. This 5.5 acre vineyard sits at an elevation of 1660 ft, nestled amongst tall evergreens. The soil is decomposed volcanic ash, also known as tuff, which provides fast drainage and low nutrition. The results are plants with deep roots and low vigor that produce small berries of superb quality.

Hand harvested in the cool morning hours, the fruit is hand sorted before and after the destemmer. After a three day cold soak, the juice is inoculated with cultured yeast. During fermentation, temperature and extraction are carefully managed. The wine is then pressed off the skins and placed in French oak barrels for aging. Prior to bottling, the winemaker selects the very best barrels for this small production, single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.