Staglin Family Vineyard

Shari and Garen Staglin founded the winery in 1985 after purchasing a 64 acre property on the Rutherford Bench. The estate is located on the western slope of the appellation, near the base of the Mayacamas Mountains. This land was originally part of a ranch established by John Steckter in 1864 and has a history of grape growing that dates back to the mid nineteenth century. In 2007, the family purchased the original Steckter farmhouse, reuniting the home with its historical vineyard acreage. The operation remains family owned and managed, with daughter Shannon Staglin serving as president and son Brandon Staglin leading the communication and advocacy efforts for their charitable foundation.

The estate vineyard comprises 61 acres at the base of Mount Saint John, where the terrain consists of volcanic soils and gravelly Bale clay loam. The property earned organic certification from CCOF in 2005 and is powered by a large solar array. Winemaking takes place in a 24,000 square foot underground cave system completed in 2002, which maintains natural temperature and humidity control to reduce electricity consumption. Director of winemaking Fredrik Johansson oversees the process with vineyard manager David Abreu and consulting enologist Michel Rolland. They focus on small lot fermentations that reflect the nuances of the western Rutherford terroir.

The primary wine of the estate is the Staglin Family Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which typically sees about 21 months of aging in French oak barrels. The winery also produces an Estate Chardonnay and a Sangiovese labeled as Stagliano. Under the Salus label, named after the Roman goddess of health, the family produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay where all proceeds are dedicated to funding brain health research. The winery is recognized for its commitment to philanthropy, having raised hundreds of millions of dollars for mental health through its annual music festival, establishing a reputation that balances high end wine production with extensive charitable contributions.