In a brief statement to its wine club members, Napa’s Newton Vineyard announced Feb. 13 that the winery is permanently closing. “We have cherished every moment spent crafting exceptional wines and sharing them with our dedicated wine club members,” the announcement read. The winery, owned by luxury giant LVMH since 2001, was destroyed in the 2020 Glass fire and has been making wine in a temporary space since. The statement cited the fire as the reason ownership made the difficult decision.
Newton was founded in 1977 by Peter Newton, an English journalist, Oxford-trained lawyer and paper magnate. With the help of then-wife Su Hua, he built Newton into a jewel of a boutique winery at the base of Spring Mountain, just uphill from St. Helena. Winding, steep roads lead to a red telephone booth that would announce guests, who arrived at the cellars to find meticulous English gardens, stunning mountaintop views and a pagoda-inspired winery. Most of the 560-acre property was hidden by a rugged forest.
LVMH acquired a majority stake in 2001. Peter Newton died in 2008 at 81, and his family held on to a 10 percent ownership stake.
By 2020, the estate had 74 acres of vines divided into 70 different blocks, mostly planted on steep hillsides ranging in elevation from 500 to 1,600 feet, primarily planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery also owned estate vineyards in Mt. Veeder, Yountville and Carneros. LVMH had invested $10 million to renovate the winery and convert the vineyards to certified organic farming.
But it was Newton’s Unfiltered Chardonnay that perhaps had the most impact on the industry. A bold wine, originally made by winemaker John Kongsgaard, it would become a benchmark.
The 2020 Glass fire tore through the property, leaving only 5 acres of vines remaining. The staff announced plans to bring the property back to life and opened a temporary tasting room in Calistoga to welcome guests. There was no indication the brand would disappear.
LVMH owns other Napa properties, including Colgin, Joseph Phelps and Domaine Chandon.
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