Somerston Estate sits nine miles up Sage Canyon Road in the Vaca Mountains east of St. Helena — far enough off the main valley corridor that most visitors never find it. The 1,615-acre property was assembled by combining two historic ranches: the 660-acre Priest Ranch, where grapes were being harvested as early as 1926 according to the St. Helena Star, and the 955-acre Lynch Ranch. Together they form one of Napa Valley's most quietly exceptional wine estates.

Allan Chapman, whose family business traces its roots to 1854, purchased the property and founded Somerston Wine Company in 2004. The founding vision was simple and ambitious in equal measure: farm 14 distinct vineyard blocks across wildly varied elevations, soils, and microclimates, and let each one speak for itself in limited-production, allocation-only wines. Somerston Estate is the pinnacle label — roughly 1,000 cases a year, available only to allocation members. Priest Ranch is the accessible sister label, poured at a tasting room in Yountville.

Somerston's 215 acres of vineyards span elevations from 800 to 1,650 feet across 87 individual blocks — each with its own soil type, aspect, and microclimate. The Vaca Mountains create a cooler, more free-draining environment than the Napa Valley floor, and the winery has dramatically reduced irrigation over the years, dropping from 200 gallons per vine annually to just 12. The result is concentrated, elegant wines with a freshness and structural precision that sets them apart from warmer-climate Napa producers.

The focus is Bordeaux varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec — alongside Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and others. Each vintage, only the best-performing blocks are selected for Somerston Estate bottlings. Winemaker Cody Hurd has been part of the team since the beginning.

Allan Chapman founded Somerston Wine Company in 2004 and remains its proprietor and guiding vision. Craig Becker, the founding winemaker and General Manager who shaped the estate's approach from its first vintage in 2007, passed away in mid-2024 and is deeply missed. Cody Hurd leads winemaking today, having been part of the team since the estate's earliest years. Jake oversees vineyard management across the 1,615-acre property. Dan Wallenbrock — a Napa Valley industry veteran with decades of experience at Robert Mondavi, Michel-Schlumberger, and C. Mondavi & Family — serves as a senior advisor. Margeaux McLain leads sales.