In the 1870s – when Conn Valley Road was little more than a wagon trail – the land which we now farm was planted with grapes to make a “Claret of high repute.” This wine was judged by the St. Helena Star to be “as fine as one might find anywhere.” Commonly known as the Franco-Swiss Farming Company, this was the pioneering vineyard and winemaking operation of Conn Valley. After roughly thirty years of producing great wines, the company dissolved due to the impact of a phylloxera infestation and Prohibition. For more than a half century, cattle roamed the land and grain was farmed but no more grapes were cultivated until Bill and Mary Seavey acquired the land in 1979.
Bill and Mary set out to revive the original vineyard, planting the south-facing hillsides of Conn Valley near Lake Hennessey. By 1990, we had remodeled an 1881 stone dairy barn into a small winery and began producing small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Small blocks of Merlot and Petit Verdot were also added along with a second winery building which includes an underground wine cave.
“Seavey is one of the great, unheralded, under-the-radar terroirs in all of Napa Valley…Bill and Mary were visionaries with regard to what could be achieved on these dry-farmed hillside vineyards tucked away in Conn Valley, east of the Meadowood Resort.”
— Robert Parker, Jr.
Production from the estate’s 40 planted acres is approximately 3,000 cases annually. This small-scale production allows us to maintain consistently high standards in both the vineyard and the winery. We’ve never bought a grape and we farm our land with our in-house crew. Our steep, rocky hillsides produce small, thick-skinned berries with outstanding tannins which must be handled very gently. As a result, our winemaking approach is gentle and patient. Stewarded by Jim Duane, our winemaker, and also Philippe Melka, our consulting winemaker, our goal is to create masterful, soulful wines that exude a sense of place and age gracefully.
“There are no shortcuts in the vineyard. Our wine’s best friend is time, with patience being a gift you give to yourself.”
— William A. Seavey, Founder
All Seavey wines are wonderfully flavorful and concentrated. Our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted for classic Bordeaux-style richness, finesse and balance for cellar aging. Our Caravina Cabernet is meant for earlier drinking and offers supple tannins and youthful intense flavors. We also produce small lots of Merlot and Chardonnay. We look forward to introducing you to our rare and extensive wine library dating back to 1990 and to our wine clubs that provide access to these wines. Bill and Mary’s commitment to creating this library for future enjoyment was unshakeable, and reflected their conviction that our wines would only improve with time.
“Our parents held back a good 25 percent of each vintage. We owe our incredible wine library to their restraint and foresight. We delight in being able to pour our visitors a beautifully aged Napa Cab that’s in its third decade and still going strong.”
— Dorie Seavey
Pictured from left to right, standing row, then seated: Art, Charley, Fred, Will (and Scooter), Djeneba, Annie, and Dorie.
Jim has been Seavey’s winemaker since 2011 after stints at Robert Mondavi Winery and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars as well as a Master’s Degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. Now with a dozen years of legendary Seavey wines to his credit, Jim has proven himself an elite winemaker whose artistry and skill continue to evolve and reach new heights with every new vintage. About Seavey, Jim says: “I delight in the rugged terraces and steep vineyards here, which provide constant opportunities to refine our cultivation methods, and in our small team’s relentless pursuit of crafting unmistakable, world-class wines.” Jim is also passionate about wine education and produces the Inside Winemaking Podcast.
A native of Bordeaux, Philippe Melka grew up intrigued by the intricacies of the land around him. Arriving in Napa Valley to study wine in 1991, the region’s soil proved to be a revelation for him. For the past 15 years, Melka has served as a winemaking consultant for some of Napa’s most highly regarded properties, including Vineyard 29, Hundred Acre, Dana Estates, Gemstone Vineyard and Lail Vineyards. Melka is recognized as one of the wine industry’s leading winemakers: Robert Parker named him one of the world’s nine most important winemakers, while Food & Wine declared him “winemaker of the year” in 2005.
Luis has served as Seavey’s vineyard manger since 2017. He brings a wealth of expertise and experience to bear in producing world-class fruit from our hillside vineyards. He uses our own in-house crew to perform all aspects managing our vineyards, from new plantings to harvest, so that he can strictly control every aspect of cultivation, incuding exclusive use of sustainable or organic practices and amendments. Luis also has a wealth of construction and animal husbandry experience and proudly maintains a brood of thoroughbred hens and roosters on-site, not to mention our cattle, goats and dozens of sheep.
Mamie (pronounced may-me) manages our day-to-day operations, wine clubs, and shipping with an amazing combination of good cheer and impeccable precision. She has a French, Louisiana lineage that influences her love of wine and great cuisine. She also has a degree in mathematics from LSU and a great deal of wine industry experience. Prior to Seavey she worked at Spring Mountain Vineyard and managed La Rochelle Winery in Sonoma.
While you wouldn’t guess it from her warmth and sense of humor, Esme is the brains behind Seavey’s accounting and compliance functions. A native of Guadalajara, Esme is also passionate about gardening and spending time with her children. Esme has been with Seavey since 2017.
Jeff is a wine educator at Seavey. An industry veteran with 30 years experience at wineries as diverse as Merry Edwards, Kinights Bridge and Mumm, he brings tremendous wine knowledge and valuable perspective to our guests. About Seavey, he says: “I am entranced by Seavey’s rugged hillside vineyards, their exceptional farming practices, and the depth of the wine that results from those vineyards. I feel blessed to work with such truly elite wines.” Jeff is also an accomplished photographer.
Martin serves as vineyard supervisor for Seavey, directly overseeing our vineyard crew. Martin has worked in our vineyards since 2009, longer than anyone on staff except for members of the Seavey family. He has such a detailed knowledge of our vineyards that he knows most of the vines on a first-name basis. Martin is a native of Michoacan and is also passionate about football/soccer.
Jose is Seavey’s tractorist, a crucial role that requires tremendous skill in our hillside vineyards. Jose joined us in 2018 with no experience as a driver, underwent two years of close training by Luis, and is now one of the top drivers in Napa. Jose is a native of Guanajuato and also loves playing with his kids at the park.