December 16, 2025 (Napa Valley, CA) — High Ranch Vineyard, a family-owned Napa Valley estate named for its distinctive, four-acre Cabernet Sauvignon site nestled in the volcanic hillsides of the Coombsville AVA, today announced its inaugural release: the 2021 High Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon.
Owned by longtime Napa residents Connie and Shawn Guttersen, High Ranch is poised to redefine the potential of the Coombsville region. The sloped, west-facing vineyard sits on an opposite hillside saddle adjacent to the famed Kongsgaard “The Judge” Chardonnay parcel on land that was once part of the historic High Ranch property. Its elevated exposure and stony, well-drained Hambright soils create a rare microclimate perched just above the Coombsville fog line. With acclaimed winemaker Sam Kaplan at the helm in the vineyards and cellar, the 2021 High Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon already secured an impressive 99-point score from world-renowned wine critic, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW. The accolade places High Ranch among the top tier of Napa Valley’s elite Cabernet producers with its very first release.
Overseeing the project is Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D. The New York Times best-selling author of The Sonoma Diet, Guttersen is an internationally heralded nutritionist with a strong background in health and flavor dynamics. The inspiration to value flavor as a health initiative resulted from her extensive involvement with the Culinary Institute of America, International Olive Oil Council, and the Goldsbury Foundation’s Culinary Health Education Program (CHEF) Program for children and teens.
Shawn, whose career in environmental stewardship and recycling reflects his passion for sustainable land management, has worked alongside Connie to develop the High Ranch property over the past 15 years, which also serves as their family home. Their long-term approach to blending their diverse backgrounds reflects a shared commitment to quality wines and sustainability.
“Our debut wine so beautifully captures the tension, precision, and the unique character of our hillside terroir,” says Connie Guttersen. “We are fortunate to live on our vineyard so we can respond immediately to the challenges and opportunities that arise every day. From the start, we placed our trust in Sam. He had the unique opportunity to design and plant each row with the exacting precision that he felt would best represent the highest expression of the High Ranch Vineyard’s rocky soils, western exposure and unique aspect above the Coombsville fog line.”
With the help of three clonal selections chosen by Kaplan, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from this site shows an intensity and early ripeness that results in a concentrated, age-worthy varietal expression of Napa Valley. Kaplan was so inspired by the early results of High Ranch Vineyard that he immediately commissioned its grapes for a single-vineyard bottling under his own philanthropic 100-point Vida Valiente label (Kaplan is also the winemaker behind 100-point wineries Memento Mori and Arkenstone).
“The magic of the High Ranch vineyard is the rock filled, saddle-like contour and aspect capturing the best of the Coombsville AVA,” says Kaplan. “The resulting wines have incredible color, density of tannins and expressive Cabernet characteristics.”
Due to the organically-farmed site’s small footprint, production of the 2021 High Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is extremely limited, with approximately 100 cases produced annually.
“After years of meticulous planning and farming, seeing the 2021 vintage already receive this level of recognition is incredibly rewarding,” continues Connie Guttersen. “The wine is a pure expression of this beautiful, challenging piece of land. We are thrilled to share the culmination of this collaborative project with wine lovers and Cabernet collectors.”
About High Ranch Vineyard
High Ranch Vineyard is a family-owned, 4.2-acre Cabernet Sauvignon site located in the renowned Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley. Perched on volcanic hillsides above the region’s signature morning fog, High Ranch offers 365-degree views of Napa Valley and Carneros, exposing its vines to intense sunshine that yields early-ripening and deeply expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Surrounded by native wildlands, the vineyard overlooks the illustrious Kongsgaard “The Judge” Vineyard and lies on similarly prized terroir. High Ranch showcases the exceptional potential of southern Coombsville through limited-production, site-expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. For more information on High Ranch Vineyard or to join the mailing list, please visit highranchvineyard.com.
