Firetree Vineyard Los Carneros
Near the northern boundary of Carneros in Napa, away from highway 121, the hills become higher and steeper, the climate slightly sunnier yet balanced with cool wind and fog, the soils, well-drained loams derived from sandstone and shale. Firetree Vineyards produces Chardonnay with personality as distinctive as the place where it is grown.
Since 1988, Firetree Vineyards has been realized as a “diamond in the rough” exhibiting tremendous potential as a world-class site in Napa Valley’s Carneros region. This thoughtful established, deeply rooted and expertly farmed Chardonnay vineyard thrives in this distinctive site.The Jimenez family continues the commitment to responsible farming practices with Napa Green and Fish Friendly Farming certifications, as well as implementing a California Native pollinator permanent cover crop plan and introducing grazing baby doll sheep throughout their 28 acres of organically farmed estate vineyard land.
Map of Firetree Vineyards
A Brief History of Firetree Vineyards
- Giuseppe A Sciligo purchased the property in 1884 and had established 28 acres of vineyard by 1886. Sciligo lived on the property for more than 50 years and sadly, saw his vineyard destroyed by Phylloxera in the late 1890’s. Giuseppe never replanted and passed away in 1935, leaving the property to his son, who after selling off some portions of the property, sold the remaining 83 acres in 1943.
- During the next 30 years the land was bought and sold several times with further property splits. At one point a portion of the property was a non-profit vocational and residential center for developmentally disabled children.
- In 1979 a mostly undeveloped portion of the property was sold to Michael and Helen O’Hara. The O’Hara’s had vineyard ambitions and by 1988 they had planted 7 acres of Chardonnay to a vineyard they called Firetree and then abruptly decided to sell the same year to Silverado Vineyards.
- Silverado Vineyards coined Firetree Vineyards a “diamond in the rough” because of the sites’ unique conditions and deeply fruited, structured grapes, which became a valuable component in Silverado Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay.
- The Jimenez family purchased Firetree Vineyards from Silverado Vineyards in 2021 and hired famed winemaker Julien Fayard. They retained Silverado Farming Company and their vineyard manager, Benjamin Leachman, who has overseen the farming at Firetree for many years. Together this team is realizing the vineyard’s potential and highlighting the uniqueness of this site for Chardonnay and a future planting of Pinot Noir and Syrah.
