A mid-century modern estate that looks plucked from a 1960s Palm Springs postcard. The wines intentionally channel pre-Parker Napa, with lower alcohol, higher acid, and old-school elegance.
Ashes and Diamonds is the most aesthetically radical winery in Napa Valley, a mid-century modern estate that looks like it was airlifted from 1960s Palm Springs and that produces wines deliberately styled after the lighter, more restrained Napa Cabernets and Chardonnays of the pre-Parker era. Founded in 2014 by Kashy Khaledi (son of Darioush founder Darioush Khaledi), the estate takes its name from the 1958 Andrzej Wajda film and channels the same cool, modernist aesthetic into every aspect of the operation, from the architecture to the label design to the wines themselves.
The estate includes 20 acres of vineyard in the Oak Knoll District, supplemented by sourcing from other Napa Valley sites. The winemaking team, which includes consultants Steve Matthiasson and Diana Snowden Seysses (who also makes wine in Burgundy at Domaine Dujac), produces wines that intentionally recall the Napa Valley style of the 1960s and 1970s: lower alcohol, brighter acidity, less new oak, and a freshness that prioritizes drinkability over concentration. The approach is a deliberate rebuke to the riper, more extracted style that has dominated the valley for the past three decades.
The wines are labeled with a Bordeaux-influenced nomenclature: Grand Vin, Bates Ranch Cabernet, and A&D Chardonnay. The Grand Vin is a Cabernet blend of structure and restraint, lower in alcohol than most contemporary Napa Cabernets. The Cabernet Franc, a standalone bottling, shows the aromatic complexity of the variety. The Chardonnay is lean and mineral, fermented without the heavy oak that defines the modern California style.
The tasting room is the visual centerpiece: a stunning mid-century modern building with floor-to-ceiling glass, clean lines, and period-appropriate furnishings that make it feel like a design museum that happens to serve wine. Walk-in visitors are welcome, and the $55 fee includes the portfolio and the architecture.
Ashes and Diamonds matters because it challenges the prevailing direction of Napa Valley winemaking by looking backward to an era when the wines were lighter, brighter, and more food-friendly. The mid-century aesthetic is not nostalgia but a statement: that the best ideas are sometimes the ones the industry has forgotten, and that the future of Napa Valley might look a lot like its past.
Contact the winery for full details about this experience, including availability and any special requirements.
Contact the winery for full details about this experience, including availability and any special requirements.
