The Vineyards
What grows on the Keenan estate? Bordeaux varietals and Chardonnay on a 236-acre Spring Mountain District estate (58 acres planted, the rest left wild, as of 2026) at about 1,700 feet on the eastern slope of the Mayacamas range. Low-vigor soils stress the vines; stressed mountain vines give small crops of intensely flavored grapes. Every acre is sustainably farmed.
What are the Keenan vineyard blocks?
Keenan farms named vineyard blocks scattered across the mountainside, each matched to its varietal and clone. Regulars in the newsletters and tasting notes include the Mailbox Vineyard (terraced Merlot beside the winery’s actual mailboxes — source of the Merlot Mailbox Reserve), the Upper Bowl (Cabernet Franc at roughly 2,000 feet — the estate’s highest vineyard), the Lower Bowl (Merlot), the Point, and the “Big K” Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, home of the Clone 15 and Clone 7 fruit behind the Reserve Cabernet.
How is the mountain farmed?
Beginning in 1995 and continuing until 1998, the family ripped out and replanted eighty percent of the vineyards — Chardonnay in ’95–’96, Merlot in ’96–’97, Cabernet Sauvignon in ’98. When the largest Cabernet vineyard was replanted, the old terraces were contoured smooth and the rows planted straight down the fall line — revolutionizing the estate’s relationship with erosion, historically one of its biggest problems.
Cover crops now grow over the entire vineyard surface through the rainy season. Their roots open passageways for water and nutrients, fix nitrogen, and everything that grows in the vineyard stays in the vineyard as compost. The result, in Michael Keenan’s words: healthier, more vibrant vines, and wines with a more expressive and voluptuous nature.
The vineyards age gracefully, too. As Matt Gardner noted after the 2016 harvest: the majority of vines on the estate no longer require irrigation, yet they maintain yields and produce some of the finest fruit to date.
Vineyard notes: the 2016 growing season & harvest
2016 FALL / WINTER
2016 GROWING SEASON AND HARVEST
Increased winter rainfall along with optimal spring and summer weather conditions were much appreciated this year. The vines soaked up rain, and favorable springtime temperatures supported healthy flowering and set. Merlot and Zinfandel yields were significantly above average, while Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon yields were only slightly above average. The 2016 harvest was a fast one though; over the course of 21 days we picked the entire Keenan estate. Our estate harvest usually lasts four to six weeks.
Keenan's harvest began with Clone 4 Chardonnay on September 6th and Dijon Clone Chardonnay on September 7th. The Chardonnay flavors developed early this, yet the juice samples revealed relatively low sugar content. Now aging in barrel, the '16 Chardonnay exhibits great acidity and wonderful rich flavors and texture.
The Merlot from the Lower Bowl and Mailbox Vineyard ripened right on the heels of the Chardonnay and supplied above average yields. The Merlot fermenting in tanks revealed bright, juicy flavors, while tannins were mild and aromatics intense. We finished picking the Lower Merlot on September 12th. Within one week we had harvested over forty percent of the 2016 estate tonnage!
Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon were our next focus. The old half-acre Zinfandel block took us by surprise and ripened much earlier than usual. Cabernet Sauvignon form the Point and Upper Bowl vineyards were next in line. The Cabernet Sauvignon is showing amazing concentration with lush powdery tannins.
By September 21st our last blocks of Merlot and most of the Cabernet Franc had been harvested, and all of our fermentation tanks were full. Only a few blocks on the estate remained, and by September 26th our harvest on Spring Mountain was finished.
It's enlightening to see these hillside vineyards age so gracefully. The majority of vines on the Keenan estate no longer require irrigation, yet the vineyards are maintaining yields and producing the some of finest fruit to date.
Cheers to the 2016 vintage!
Matt Gardner