Marston Family Vineyard

A family owned and operated Napa winery where “passion” and “terroir” are key

Family owned for over four decades, Marston family vineyard is a small, boutique winery with a very limited production. It’s located along the southern slopes of the Spring Mountain District Appellation, the vineyard benefits from the elevation as well as a specific cooler microclimate. Until the late 90’s, Marston exclusively sold grapes to other wineries, famed ones, until winemaker Philippe Melka helped the estate to create the Marston Family Vineyard brand in 1998. Today, Elizabeth Marston and her husband James Leahy continue the dynasty.

Let’s go to meet this great wineloving couple

Why do you make wines? Really, it began with my parents. They came up to the Napa Valley as newlyweds, back in the late 60s, and they found our property. They knew very little about growing grapes or making wines and they fell in love with it. We would sell fruit to all of the old guard in the early days, like Robert Mondavi and Heitz Cellars. Bob Mondavi pulled my father aside one day after delivering fruit and told him: “Your fruit is very special, Napa is going to be something one day, you should stick around.” My father came back, eventually bought the other partners out and we’ve been growing grapes and making small lots of wines ever since.

We continue to carry on the family legacy by pushing the boundaries for Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah, with particular emphasis on our hillside estate Cabernet Sauvignon. This is really what drives us, particularly to continue to further the estate, showcasing its nuances to tell a story from vintage to vintage.

How big is your estate?

Elizabeth: We have approximately 34 acres planted to vine (14 hectares), within the overarching estate of just about 500 acres (200 hectares). The majority of the plantable areas have been cultivated since the late-1880s; however, there are a few sites that could be planted, but many are very steep and with all the regulations today it’s hard to clear a mountain of a certain degree of slope.

James: With the majority of what’s planted today, we have all the possible orientations and exposures for the vines, including a variety of soil types that are well drained. If you had to describe Marston, in terms of wine and style in a few words, what would you say? James: Classic, unbridled and certainly respectful.

Elizabeth: Yes, some respect absolutely. I love the way it builds off tradition. What is the Signature of Marston wine? What makes it possible to recognize in a blind tasting?

James: I do think that a big signature, particularly for the estate, is the forest. I think you get a bit of freshness that comes through, especially in young vintages. Being a cooler site, I think that it’s kind of a theme. We welcome that vibrant acidity; we want the wines to be alive. I think that comes from our natural habitat of being off the beaten track and up in the hills.

Elizabeth: My tell in terms of the Marston signature is the structure and the sense of balance. You know, with our mountain site our tannins are very present and it’s a little bit cooler, making the berries smaller. We love that and our team does a wonderful job integrating those young, fresh tannins with our French oak selection. You say the forest has an impact on your wines, does this forest or any other aspect in the vineyard bring particular aroma(s) to your wines?

James: It’s hard to say and break those down; it can be anything from Rosemary to cedar, to other spices and fragrances. It’s really when you walk through the rows – it may sound odd but right now, particularly as it’s warming up [in late Spring], what kicks up from the cover crop is this kind of flora and fauna freshness. It can have hints of liquorice, or it can be more brambly, talking about aromatics rather than the actual flavour.

Do you have future plans for the winery?

James: From a brand perspective, a production standpoint, we were exploring a couple of different options, even potentially doing an old-world wine. That’s still very much an interest. With what we were going through in October, having finalized the succession of the winery and then combatted with the fires immediately after, that put a lot of the expansion plans on hold. This is a good thing, because it has allowed us to refocus and really look at the portfolio and expressions we produce now. Beyond that, there’s also replanting discussions ongoing for the Estate, and what will that mean in terms of growth as well as understanding what the suited varietals are in future.

Thanks to Elizabeth Marston and James Leahy for the interview. - J.C.C. & J.M.

• Marston Family Vineyard Saint Helena, California 94574

Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley www.marstonfamilyvineyard.com