The iconic Langtry Estate and Vineyards, fifteen minutes drive north of the world famous Napa Valley, has a history of winemaking dating back around one-hundred-and-fifty years. Following in the footsteps of English actress, Lillie Langtry - who first saw the potential of this site in the 1880s, the property has a reputation for 100% estate grown wines from varieties typical of northern Californian vineyards.
Covering more than nine-thousand hectares of idyllic rolling countryside, centred on the picturesque Guenoc Valley AVA but extending across much of Lake County and even across the Napa boundary, the Langtry Estate benefits from the unique topography, geology and climate combination of the region’s southern tip, as well as its much heralded clean air. Inland and sheltered from the cooling marine influence by the Mayacama Mountains, Guenoc Valley vineyards rely on a combination of elevation and the temperature moderation of nearby Clear Lake to ensure optimal conditions for viticulture. The estate itself is a visual spectacle offering up a vast and varied landscape of green hills, still lakes, mountain ridges and gentle streams, parkland studded with old oaks, immaculately kept vine rows, the Detert Reservoir with its abundant birdlife, and breathtakingly beautiful vistas. Built almost forty years ago, the winery - which overlooks the reservoir - resembles the old Guenoc lodge that still stands three kilometres to the south, and offers state of the art winemaking facilities, tastings and tours of the vineyards. Whilst former owner Lillie Langtry still lends her name to the estate, it has come a long way since the theatre star planted her first vines here in the late 1800s. Her departure in 1906 and the effects of Prohibition meant that for much of the twentieth century, this like all Californian properties, was largely abandoned. However, in the 1960s, the Magoon family revived the estate's fortunes, becoming amongst the first in the state to plant five major Bordeaux varieties and raising the profile of Lake County as a serious wine region. Under current ownership, Langtry produces award winning, limited production wines, rich in the flavours and fragrances of this distinct terroir. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Viognier, are amongst the wide range of varieties grown and vinified here, but it is perhaps the wines from Petite Sirah and Sauvignon Blanc for which the estate is most famous. These varietals, as well as others, continue to receive high acclaim in domestic and international competition.
