Steve & Jill Matthiasson

Due to the southerly orientation of the cool San Pablo Bay, the usual laws governing latitude and temperature are reversed: in Napa it gets chillier the further south you go. This explains why Oak Knoll District, located at the foot of the valley, is one of the coolest vineyard areas. It also explains why, in the 1960s when sweeping decisions were still being made in Napa about what to plant where, Linda Vista Vineyard was selected as an ideal site for Chardonnay. The horizons of California Chardonnay have since expanded, but Oak Knoll still proves a worthy spot for hitting the grape’s higher notes. Steve and Jill’s feels like a throwback to these earlier, more soulful times.