Of all the vineyards we source for Accendo Cellars, we have the longest history and deepest connection to Vine Hill Ranch. When we moved to Napa Valley in the early 1990s, the owners of Vine Hill Ranch, Bob and Alex Phillips, became two of our family’s dearest friends, sharing our passion for farming and sense of responsibility for the community.

Alex’s father, Bruce Kelham, purchased Vine Hill Ranch in 1959, which had been planted since 1884 to grapevines, plums, pears, and other crops. In 1978, Bob and Alex moved to Napa Valley to take over the ranch operations. Over time, Bob and Alex cultivated a vineyard of renown, producing exceptional grapes for a collection of notable Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon producers. We first sourced grapes from the 71-acre vineyard in 2008. In recognition of their many contributions to both Napa Valley agriculture and to the community, the Phillips Family were honored in 2011 as Napa Valley Grapegrowers Grower of the Year.

Today at Accendo Cellars, we work with Bob and Alex’s son, Bruce Phillips, and vineyard managers Mike Wolf and Caleb Mosley; Caleb worked with us as Vineyard Manager of Araujo Estate and is now a partner in Michael Wolf Vineyard Services. Mike Wolf was recognized as the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ Grower of the Year in 2015.

Vine Hill Ranch was one of the original vineyard sources for Accendo in our inaugural 2013 vintage. It is one of the most consistent and highest performing vineyards we have worked with. The grapes and the resulting wine are perfectly balanced from the day of harvest – it is Oakville fruit at its finest. Our block yields wine with bright red and blue fruit flavors, incredible precision, an excellent acid backbone, and fine but firm tannins, which coat the mouth from front to back. The density and poise of the wine are to be admired greatly.