Kamen Vineyards
Moon Mountain District
“Kamen Vineyard is a unique location consisting of volcanic rock and soils that add distinctive flavor to the wines. It is in the center of an ancient caldera that is part Mayacamas Mountains where the Moon Mountain District AVA is located. I farm here because I’m lucky.”
– Phil Coturri, Vineyard Manager
Moon Mountain rises from 400 to 2,200 feet within the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain range that separates Napa from Sonoma. It is an aptly-named arid, remote, lunar-like moonscape so pocked with deep hollows and craters that being there feels like standing on the moon.
5 million-year-old prehistoric lava flows formed Moon Mountain’s rocky red soils, composed of andesite, tufa, obsidian and basalt with a thin top layer of clay loam. The excellent drainage through primarily volcanic ash challenges the grapes to access the water they need.
Owned by screen writer Robert Kamen, Kamen Vineyard is meticulously and organically farmed by legendary viticulturist Phil Coturri. Yields are low, 2-3 tons per acre, leaving small, very concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with intense, mineral-rich flavors.