Certain
that mountain side vineyards in Napa Valley could produce world class wines, in
1974 Robert Keenan purchased 180 acres in
the
Spring Mountain District at an elevation of 1700 feet. Located on the eastern
slope of the Mayacamas mountain range, Spring
Mountain
District gained recognition as an American Vineyard Appellation (AVA) in 1993.
The low vigor soils unique to the region were
known
to create a stressful environment for vine growth, setting up perfect
conditions to encourage vineyards planted on the steep,
rocky, mountainsides to produce wines of great
concentration, structure, and pure varietal flavors.