Juslyn Vineyards

Juslyn Vineyards is a Spring Mountain boutique estate that produces elegant, Bordeaux-inspired mountain wines from 15 acres of steep, terraced hillside that the owners cleared and planted by hand. Founded in 1998 by Perry and Carolyn Butler, who named the winery after their three children (Justin, Jaclyn, and Carolyn), the estate occupies some of Spring Mountain's most dramatic terrain at elevations that provide both the intense sunlight and the cooling breezes that mountain wines require. The combination of family commitment and extreme terrain has produced wines that capture the mountain's character with unusual grace.

The 15-acre vineyard is planted on steep, south-facing slopes with the volcanic soils characteristic of Spring Mountain. The terrain is among the most challenging to farm in the appellation, requiring hand labor at every stage and producing yields that are naturally limited by the thin, rocky soils. The vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc, with each variety occupying the soil type and exposure that best suit its needs. The mountain's above-fog-line position provides more direct sunlight than the valley floor, producing deeply colored, concentrated fruit.

Winemaker Rob Lloyd crafts wines that emphasize elegance alongside mountain intensity. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon is structured and refined, with the dark fruit and mineral backbone of mountain-grown fruit tempered by polished tannins. The Cabernet Franc adds aromatic lift and herbal complexity to the blends. The Sauvignon Blanc, from the estate's coolest blocks, is crisp and mineral-driven. The overall style is more Bordeaux than California in its emphasis on structure and balance, reflecting a winemaking philosophy that values restraint over extraction.

Tastings at Juslyn are by appointment and take place on the mountaintop estate, where the steep vineyard terraces and valley views create a dramatic setting. The experience is intimate and personal, reflecting the family scale of the operation. The drive up Spring Mountain Road filters out casual visitors, and the reward for those who make the journey is one of the mountain's most refined tasting experiences. The $75 fee includes the full portfolio and the mountaintop views.

Juslyn represents the family-scale mountain estates that give Spring Mountain its distinctive character. The Butlers cleared and planted their vineyard themselves, invested decades of labor in the steep terrain, and named the winery after their children, creating a legacy that is as personal as it is agricultural. The wines, shaped by the mountain's extreme conditions and the winemaker's Bordeaux sensibility, are among the most elegant produced at altitude in the valley.