Guided for more than two decades by renowned winegrowers and vintners Pat and Anne Stotesbery, Ladera has earned a reputation for making some of Napa Valley’s greatest mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignons. At the same time, Ladera has helped to champion a balanced expression of mountain winemaking, where smoothly structured tannins, excellent natural acidity and layered complexity add nuance and sophistication to the intensity of the mountain fruit. Made by gifted winemaker Jade Barrett, using grapes from the finest vineyards, Ladera’s wines are recognized as benchmarks for their depth, elegance and aging potential. With deep agricultural roots on both sides of their family, and two decades of experience as ranchers, Pat and Anne Stotesbery acquired their first Napa Valley mountain vineyard in 1996, with the intention of growing grapes to sell. They selected their original vineyard on Mount Veeder with the help of two winemaking friends, and immediately began replanting from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon. Pat and Anne quickly fell under the spell of growing wine grapes, and the following year, they purchased their second mountain vineyard, Lone Canyon—a decision that marked the beginning of their transition to being full time winegrowers. In 1998, Pat and Anne made their first non-commercial vintage of 100 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. They
were inspired by the quality of the wine, which reinforced their vision for a balanced and sophisticated style of Cabernet Sauvignon. The following year they made their first official vintage—600 cases of Lone Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon. As a reflection of their commitment to making mountain Cabernet Sauvignons, they selected the name Ladera for their , which means “hillside, or slope” in both Spanish and Italian. From growing grapes to working in the cellar, Pat and Anne found that they loved making wine and sharing the experience with their four children. Eager to fully embrace their new life, they moved their family to Napa Valley, and in 2000, they acquired a historic Howell Mountain property featuring an 82-acre vineyard. For the next 16 years, this property served as the home for Ladera, and the source for some of its most revered wines. In the early years, Ladera was almost entirely a family endeavor, with Pat and Anne working six days a week. “It was the start of a new life for us,” says Pat. “I was doing all of the fruit sampling and
pressing, while running the business side of the . Anne was building our wine club and hospitality programs. We closed the on Sundays so that we could have a day off.”
