ON NAPA’S FINAL FRONTIER

It took seven years of searching and a few international detours from Canada to Chile, but for Xavier Cervantes, building his dream—a place where he could not only grow and make world-class wine, but live a more rustic life surrounded by multiple generations of family—was always meant to happen here, in California’s Napa Valley. When he found the stunning parcel on the eastern edge of Pope Valley in 2012, it felt like the area’s last frontier. Becoming the gold standard of American winemaking had led to a gold rush on Napa real estate long before and places like this just didn’t seem to exist anymore.

“It blew my mind when I first saw it. It was very expansive and beautiful with valleys, mountains, forests, some growths of oak trees and cedars and four lakes.” It would take many more years of learning the land—and being tested by it—before they began to produce, but the intensity of his passion never wavered.

“I became a farmer. I learned the process,” says the former businessman, who found success in real estate and other ventures before this mid-career pivot to agriculture, “I planted our vineyards. We had 30 acres existing, some of which I had to pull out. And we planted another 65. Now we’re around 100 acres.”

With 1,100 unspoiled acres in total, the vineyard exudes (and embraces) its rustic, ranch-like qualities. Its inherent size and sweeping vistas appear even larger once its neighbors are considered. It borders the historical Hardin and Dollarhide ranches, as well as Cedar Roughs Wilderness, a 6,300 acre designated wilderness area overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. The result is a place that also feels like an outdoor sanctuary, mostly untouched and insulated just enough from the bustle of the increasingly modern world around it. There’s diverse wildlife, including bears, mountain lions, black-tailed deer, wild boar and honey bees, plus a variety of raw, rugged landscapes—plus conditions that are unique within Napa Valley.

“For the vineyard,” he says, “It’s high altitude. We’re about 1,200 to 1,400 feet above sea level, about a thousand feet above Napa proper. We’re considered a mountain fruit.”

That level of elevation intensifies the sun’s UV rays, yielding grapes with thicker skins, greater color concentrations and stronger tannins. Combined with the temperate climate, rich soil and some consulting from some of Napa’s most legendary winemakers (a Screaming Eagle alumnus among them), the vineyard is thriving, producing celebrated wines—robust, layered cabernet sauvignons and their prized proprietary Redtail blend, among them—but it hasn’t been without its challenges.

“We had very tough times. We had the fires in 2020 and lost 100% of our crop to smoke taint. Then ‘21 and ‘22 were very tough with the droughts. We barely survived.”

Nature is cooperating so far this season and the more pastoral aspects of the vineyard—from the house beer brewed with homegrown peaches to the annual venison roasts—can be enjoyed. Cervantes is content roaming the grounds with his extended family on quarter horses. His life-long love of cowboys came via his father, who got him an up-close view of one of TV’s longest-running westerns.

“My father was in the movie and communications business. He would dub the American shows in Spanish and sell them to Mexico and Latin America. One of those shows was Bonanza. When I was a little kid, I was able to meet Michael Landon, Lorne Greene, all these guys. And I really loved and respected that vision of American life. It was all about family, bravery, honesty, loyalty. They were cowboys. I think back and that’s why I wanted to be a cowboy.”

 And, of course, he’s rarely seen without a hat, alternating between crushable outdoor hats like his beloved Kelso and handwoven straw hats like the Cowhand.  “A Stetson has always been the iconic style. But on the ranch, it’s a necessity. I told my kids. You have to wear it,” he says, “it’s the most important part of our gear when you’re out in the vineyards all day, for shade, for protection.”

As a dad, he is clearly overjoyed to be passing on these fatherly bits of wisdom and working daily alongside his family. That includes his wife of 37 years, Cecilia, who warmly oversees hospitality at the vineyard, his son Jeronimo (CFV’s General Manager), his daughters Ana (Lifestyle Manager), Ximena (Social Media Manager), and godson Mauricio Esteinou (Ranch and Vineyard Manager), along with their spouses, significant others, and a growing number of grandchildren who are learning the land, the life, and the business from infancy.

Cervantes grew up in Mexico City, and It was his father, and the wine and laughter that flowed freely at his table, that had originally instilled in him the dream to own a vineyard in the first place. “The table was always filled with people. My father loved to cook and pair with wines. Back then the wines in Mexico were terrible. Mostly Mexican and German wines. But I loved it being on the table and sharing stories and memories, dancing and laughing and at the end, I mean that really hooked me to wine.” Sharing that dream with his own children and seeing them embrace it has brought it to fruition.