Ink Grade

Ink Grade is a winery situated on a single estate within the Waka mountain range, in the north-eastern part of the Howell-Mountain AVA in the Napa Valley, at an altitude of up to 670 metres above sea level. It is part of Lawrence Wine Estates, owned by Gaylon M. Lawrence Jr.; the company’s president and CEO is master sommelier Carlton McCoy Jr., and the winemaker is Matt Taylor.

The land was first acquired in 1873 by Theron Ink, a California pioneer who planted the first vines and built a road that still bears his name. Heitz Cellar purchased the property in 1989 and planted additional vineyards in 1990–1991. In 2018, Lawrence acquired Heitz, including Ink Grade. In 2020, Ink Grade was launched as a standalone project.

The vineyard is situated on iron-rich volcanic soils known as andosols, formed from Miocene-era tuffs and lava flows some five million years ago. The vineyards, situated on steep terraces, benefit from significant daily temperature fluctuations, which preserve acidity and aromatic depth.

Grape varieties grown here include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. The wines produced include Howell-Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell-Mountain Merlot, the Andosol Red Field Blend, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Production stands at around 5,000 cases per year.