Chase Cellars

Chase Cellars is a St. Helena family estate that specializes in old-vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from vines planted in the 1920s, producing wines that capture nearly a century of vine maturity in every glass. Founded in 1997, the estate occupies 40 acres on the St. Helena benchland, where the ancient vines have developed the deep root systems and low vigor that produce fruit of extraordinary concentration and complexity. The old-vine program is the estate's heart, preserving heritage plantings that most other producers would have replaced with more commercially valuable Cabernet Sauvignon decades ago.

The 40-acre estate includes blocks of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah planted in the 1920s, among the oldest surviving vines in the St. Helena appellation. These ancient vines produce tiny clusters of intensely flavored berries, and the deep root systems deliver a mineral complexity that young plantings cannot replicate. The estate also grows Cabernet Sauvignon from younger blocks, providing the expected variety alongside the heritage wines.

Winemaker Katie Heid works with the old-vine fruit to produce wines that honor the age and character of the plantings. The old-vine Zinfandel is spicy and concentrated, with the depth that only 100-year-old root systems can provide. The Petite Sirah from the same era is dark and bold, with the tannic structure that allows the variety to age for decades. The Cabernet is well-made and provides a more conventional Napa Valley red option.

Tastings are by appointment on the estate, where the ancient vines are visible and the staff explain the significance of the 1920s-era plantings. The $45 fee includes the heritage wines and the rare opportunity to taste fruit from vines that have been producing since the Roaring Twenties.

Chase demonstrates the irreplaceable value of old vines. The 1920s plantings cannot be replicated; they can only be preserved. Every bottle of old-vine Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from these vines is a piece of living history, and Chase's commitment to maintaining them ensures that future generations will taste what a century of root development can produce.