Goosecross Cellars sits on State Lane in East Yountville, a small family-owned estate with deep roots in Napa Valley and a refreshingly unpretentious approach to hospitality. Originally founded with vineyard plantings in the 1970s, the property was acquired in 2021 by Dave Ficeli and Christi Coors Ficeli, who brought a new generation of energy to the estate while preserving everything that made Goosecross worth preserving: the land, the geese, and the spirit of old Napa.

The State Lane Estate and Its Vineyards

The heart of Goosecross is the State Lane Vineyard in East Yountville, an estate site that has been producing grapes since the 1970s. The vineyard looks west toward the Mayacamas Mountains and enjoys the moderating influence of San Pablo Bay fog that defines Yountville’s growing season. Days are warm enough to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon fully; nights cool enough to preserve the acidity and structure that give the wines longevity.

The estate produces four tiers of wine built around the State Lane site. The State Lane Selection represents the estate’s core expression: Cabernet Sauvignon grown, vinified, and aged entirely on property. Micro-lot bottlings capture ultra-small-production wines from specific single-vineyard blocks within and beyond the estate, while the Napa Valley Selection offers approachable, terroir-driven wines across several varieties. The Abstract Selection is Goosecross’s experimental tier, where winemaker Bill Nancarrow tests varieties and techniques outside the Napa mainstream.

More often than not, people who arrive at Goosecross as strangers leave as friends. That’s the kind of place it is.

Winemaker Bill Nancarrow and the Goosecross Style

Bill Nancarrow arrived at Goosecross in 2013 after serving as Executive Winemaker for Duckhorn Wine Company’s Napa Valley properties, which included the flagship Duckhorn Merlot program and the Paraduxx label. His background spans New Zealand (where he trained at the acclaimed Pask Winery), South Africa, France, and the UK before landing in Napa Valley in 2001.

Nancarrow describes himself as a farmer first and a mad scientist second. At Goosecross, that means revitalizing the State Lane estate vineyard from the ground up, introducing techniques like compost tea fertigation to improve vine health, and experimenting with extended skin contact for Chardonnay alongside the traditional Cabernet program. The result is a winery that produces classics well (the State Lane Cabernet and Merlot draw consistently strong critical attention) while using the Abstract tier to explore what else the estate and its sourcing relationships can do.

For visitors wanting to understand how Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon differs from other Napa sub-appellations, the Napa Valley wine guide covers the climate and soil differences across the valley’s major AVAs. Yountville’s position at the cooler southern end of the valley gives its Cabernets a different structure than warmer-climate Calistoga or Oakville examples.

The Ficeli Family and Old Napa Hospitality

Dave Ficeli and Christi Coors Ficeli met while working for the Gallo family and relocated to Napa Valley in 2003 following their shared dream of building something in wine country. Dave spent years in wine marketing and later winery operations, overseeing production for several Jackson Family Wines properties. Christi, whose great-great-grandfather was Adolph Coors, brought both family business experience and a deep commitment to community, serving on boards and leading charitable fundraising throughout the valley.

When the Goosecross property came available, the Ficelis recognized something rare: a genuine estate with a real history, a working vineyard, and a name worth keeping. They took over in 2021, kept the name, kept the winemaker, kept the ethos, and focused their energy on what they call “new Napa wines, old Napa vibes.” The phrase captures something real. Goosecross operates by appointment only and limits the number of guests it welcomes each day, which means the tasting experience is genuinely personal rather than a production-line pour.

The geese are still there too. Family legend holds that a pair of geese settled on State Lane decades ago after the male injured a wing during migration. Since geese mate for life, his partner stayed. The two settled in and never left. Today the Ficelis still see geese on the property regularly, flying to the Napa River at sunset. They’re part of the origin story, and the reason the name was never going to change.

The Wine Portfolio: From Estate Classics to Abstract Experiments

The Goosecross portfolio is organized around four collections that reflect different aspects of what the estate and its winemaking team can do. The State Lane Selection is the purest expression of the estate: Cabernet Sauvignon that captures Yountville East terroir without outside fruit blended in. These are the wines that wine club members build cellars around.

The Napa Valley Selection covers approachable versions of the valley’s most-planted varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot, at price points that make Goosecross wines accessible beyond the tasting room. The Micro-lot Selection digs deeper into single-block specificity, offering ultra-small-production bottlings that change character with each vintage based on which blocks performed best that year. The Abstract Selection, which has included varieties like Tempranillo uncommon in Napa, represents Nancarrow’s experimental spirit made tangible.

For food pairing context, the tannin structure of State Lane Cabernet Sauvignon responds well to the classic chemistry of fat and protein softening tannin while tannin cuts through richness. Hard aged cheeses, lamb, and beef are natural counterparts. Our wine pairing tool can generate specific pairing ideas based on any bottle in the Goosecross lineup.

Visiting Goosecross Cellars

Goosecross operates by appointment only at 1119 State Lane in Yountville. All tastings are on the patio with views of the estate vineyard and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. The Signature Wine Tasting at $50 per person offers a guided experience through current releases; the Matinee pricing at $30 per person is available Sunday through Thursday before noon. For deeper exploration, the State Lane Estate Tasting at $65 per person moves through four micro-lot red wines from the estate vineyard with as much or as little technical detail as you prefer.

The winery also offers the “Goosecross Takes Flight” service, bringing the tasting experience to your home if a Napa visit is not possible. Appointments book quickly, especially on weekends, so calling ahead to check same-day availability at (707) 944-1986 is advisable.

Goosecross pairs naturally with other Yountville and Stags Leap District estates on a Napa Valley visit. The full Napa Valley wine region guide covers the sub-appellations and which styles to expect from each. Yountville East, where State Lane sits, is among the region’s most consistent producers of structured, ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon.

Goosecross Cellars: common questions