Forman Vineyard

Ric Forman established Forman Vineyard in 1983 after years spent making wine in Napa Valley. He had purchased the first property in 1978 at the base of Howell Mountain above Saint Helena, then built a cave into the hillside in the late 1980s. The vineyard’s three parcels are planted with Bordeaux varieties on soils that include gravel, sand, ancient riverbed deposits and volcanic rock.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the winery’s focus. For the Chardonnay, grapes are pressed in whole bunches; the juice is fermented in barrels before the wine ages in seasoned oak.