Terra Valentine

Sam Baxter

Winemaker Sam Baxter, has always had a keen focus on the grapes in the vineyard to achieve ideal ripeness and flavor development, leading to a winemaking style marked by minimal intervention. The yield of this approach is evident in our Terra Valentine wines that reflect a sense of place while showing the intensity of mountain grown fruit and balanced elegance.

Sam Baxter stands tall among an esteemed few, of the next generation of Napa Valley winemakers. Baxter literally grew up in the grapevines, trailing father Phil, whose winemaking made a legendary mark in the late '60s when the Napa Valley first experienced international notoriety as a respected winegrowing region.

After graduating from University of California, Davis with a degree in fermentation science in 1998, Sam extended his experience with a pivotal internship position at Sterling Vineyards and stints abroad in Australia. His first encounters with Terra Valentine were cultivated during the early years at the winery, dubbed the "cowboy" era (1999-2001) due to the rough-and-tumble condition of the winery and its vineyard land, which allowed for barely enough energy to run the lights, but no hot water. Working under these off-the-grid conditions went a long way in building Baxter's strong winemaking foundation.

Wurtele Vineyard

The Wurtele Vineyard (wer-tul) was planted in 1990 by the Raymond family. It was purchased by Angus and Margaret Wurtele in 1995. The vineyard, which sits at elevations between 600 to 1000 feet, exudes variations of slope, aspect, and soil. Much like a compass rose, the vineyard is comprised of multiple exposure points that span a full 360 degrees around a central knoll. Though planted exclusively to clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, these exposures yield variety in vine orientation and tannin intensity, all of which lend to the unique characteristics of the wine.

Barrel Regime:
22 months in barrel
100% French oak - 50% new

Wine Spectator 92 points

Wine Enthusiast 93 points