There is only one Thorevilos.
Sitting above the valley floor, wedged between the St. Helena and Howell Mountain AVAs, Thorevilos is a miracle of rebirth. Out of 200 acres of land, David has carved 40 vine acres of unspeakable beauty and precision. It wasn’t easy. The 2020 wildfires in Napa Valley all but destroyed the surrounding forest with its second growth redwoods, sequoias, oaks and madrones. Though it may take a generation, David is determined to bring it back, this time the right way.”
“We planted 1000 trees and hand watered them for over a year. We put down straw bales and netting to prevent erosion. And I’m training suckers up from the healthy, underground root balls of oaks and madrones because it gives them a big head start. Eventually this place will look like a park, but it’ll be opened up so if there’s a fire again, we won’t have that underbrush, that fuel. We have to manage to that possibility.”
Thorevilos doesn’t belong to any sub-appellation. “It’s an outlier. But that doesn’t make any difference to the vineyard. Or the wine.”
It’s the place that matters. The mid-mountain climate. The Boomer and Forward series soils, pebbly and consistently well-drained. The razor-sharp north-facing vine rows, laid with detail and precision.
“There is an unmistakable wildness in the wines from the eastern slopes above St. Helena. Thorevilos is the benchmark. The barren landscape of rocky outcrops makes it challenging for much to grow. These are the badlands, the places you’ll find what doesn’t want to be found.”