Drive north of Tubbs Lane through Calistoga and you will see a smattering of old guard napa.  Continue up the 128, and you will pass a field upon which is the romping grounds of a free range pig farm.   It is the very owner of this farm, a retired firefighter who also drove trucks for native “Calistoga water,” who saved our home in the Tubbs Valley fire. We and they sat at ground zero the very night of its ignition. Both homes stand (all others in our valley perished), landscape scorched, and our vineyards stand unscathed.  We will be forever indebted.  Country living reminds us daily of the solidarity of neighborly support.

Immediately adjacent to this postcard landmark, you will take a hard right down the driveway to the JAX vineyard site tucked far from the highway.  The vineyard sits to the immediate left as you drive towards the property.   The alfresco hacienda house and tasting barn setting barn reflect the reality that rare vineyard tastings are intimate and only given by family members or CEO Dan Parrott.  After all, a family owned business translates to wearing many hats and sharing that passion themselves.

Sitting on the west side of the property, the vineyard features volcanic alluvial soil because of its proximity to Mt. St. Helena.  That volcanic soil is what creates an ideal environment for root water absorption.  Equally noteworthy are the extreme diurnal temperature variations (daytime heat intensity contrasted by chilly evenings).  The heat imparts deep color and complexity to our fruit while the cooler evenings help maintain acidity and structure.

Under the direction of vineyard consultant Kelly Maher, we planted the northeast block of the vineyard (which includes venerable Block 3) in Cabernet Sauvignon using clone 337 root stalk 101-14.  To add layers of complexity, we planted Cabernet Franc (clone 332, rootstock 101-14) and Petit Verdot (clone 3, rootstock 101-14) on the very southern edge of the vineyard.

To differentiate from their small lot single vineyard Jax line, they launched “Y3” to scale and offer more “true to varietal” wines from various AVAs (spanning Napa and Sonoma).   The “Y3” symbol was the cattle symbol used on their grandparents’ cattle ranch, Yarrayne.  The “3” represents three generations of land tilling entrepreneurs.

In 2013, the siblings recruited a third partner, Dan Parrott, a no nonsense individual with a laser focus on balanced wines (historically working in Italian import houses) and a true burgundian aficionado.  Dan keeps the sibling rivalry in check and runs Jax like a well oiled machine.