MacDonald

In 1954, Alex and Graeme MacDonald’s great-grandparents, Richard and Hedwig Detert, planted the first vines on the property since Prohibition as the last of the cherry trees were being removed. However, the history of where their vines are planted, To Kalon, dates back to 1868. H.W. Crabb purchased 240 acres then and started planting grapes. The turn of the century brought phylloxera, which devastated the vineyard and it was replanted to cherries. Prohibition and a fire in 1939 further damaged the original winery, so that the oldest vines there now are from 1954.

For 60 years the grapes had been sold exclusively to Robert Mondavi and had been part of his Reserve and To-Kalon blends since their inception. Robert Mondavi referred to the family as “the best grape-growers in the Napa Valley” and, when he and the brothers’ great uncle, Gunther Detert, resurrected the property’s historic name, the family was included as the only private growers to be part of the Robert Mondavi To-Kalon Vineyard.

The vineyard was established in the traditional Napa Valley style, without irrigation and propagated with budwood from the historic To-Kalon Vineyard. Today, they touch each plant throughout the season with the care and attention to detail taught to them by their grandfather. Production is limited to the amount of wine that can be made with their own hands. Being the beneficiaries of 70 years of family stewardship, and allowing old vines to be passed through generations, gives the brothers the opportunity to express a sense of place in each bottle.

Since 2004, Alex and Graeme MacDonald have been working towards producing their own wine from this hallowed land, and in 2010 they released their first vintage with 92 total cases. They now keep the fruit from the oldest vines for their Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.