The winery is located north of the city of Napa in the Oakville AVA area in California's Napa Valley. The then 57-hectare estate was purchased in 1986 by former real estate agent Jean Phillips (1945-2023). She sold the majority of the vineyards to other wineries, retaining only a tiny vineyard of one acre (0.4 hectares) planted with around 80 Cabernet Sauvignon vines.

She sought advice on the vineyard's potential from specialists at Mondavi Winery and then engaged the services of consultant Richard Peterson. His daughter Heidi Peterson Barrett was then responsible as the first winemaker. Only 225 cases of the first vintage, 1992, were produced. The wine immediately became known and famous around the world when Robert M. Parker awarded it 99 points ("exceptionally impressive").
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien