Signorello Estate has one of the most resilient stories in Napa Valley wine. Founded in 1980 when Ray Signorello Sr. purchased 100 acres on the Silverado Trail in the Stags Leap District, the estate spent four decades building a reputation for small-lot Cabernet and Chardonnay before the October 2017 Napa wildfires swept through and destroyed the winery building and much of the property. Rather than walk away, Ray Signorello Jr., who had taken over the estate from his father, committed to rebuilding. The vineyard, its oldest vines planted more than 40 years ago, survived, and the rebuilt Signorello Estate reopened with the same commitment to estate-grown, small-lot production that defined it before the fire.

Four Decades, a Fire, and a Comeback

Ray Signorello Sr. purchased the Silverado Trail property in 1980 as a raw vineyard site with hillside potential that he could see even before the first vines were planted. He developed the estate over the following years, planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and other varieties on the gently sloping terrain of the Stags Leap District. Ray Signorello Jr. took over the estate in the late 1990s and continued to develop it with a focus on quality over quantity. The October 2017 fires that swept through the Napa Valley destroyed the Signorello winery building and damaged portions of the vineyard, but the family committed to rebuilding. By 2019 and 2020, the winery was producing wine again in a rebuilt facility, and the oldest vines, which had survived with their root systems intact, were producing fruit with the same character that had defined Signorello before the disaster.

After the 2017 fire burned the winery to the ground, the Signorello family rebuilt rather than selling, and the estate’s oldest vines came back with their character intact.

Stags Leap District Terroir

The Stags Leap District is one of Napa Valley’s most distinct sub-AVAs, occupying a narrow zone along the eastern side of the valley between the city of Napa and the town of Yountville. The district takes its character from the dramatic palisades of volcanic rock to the east, which absorb heat during the day and radiate it back toward the vineyards in the evening, moderating temperature swings and extending the ripening season. The soils in the Stags Leap District tend to be volcanic loam and clay-loam on the hillsides, with alluvial fans at the base, and they produce Cabernet of particular elegance and finesse rather than the power-oriented profile of some other Napa sub-AVAs. The Signorello hillside site captures this character well, with the elevation adding additional structure.

The Wine Portfolio: Small-Lot Cabernet and Chardonnay

Signorello Estate produces a range of small-lot wines anchored by estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap District hillside vineyards. Padrone is the flagship, a Bordeaux-style blend produced from the oldest blocks and the finest lots of the vintage, built for aging. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon is the main production wine, showing the signature Stags Leap elegance and fine-grained tannin texture that distinguishes the district. Chardonnay is produced from estate hillside blocks and shows the freshness and acidity that come from the Stags Leap proximity to the cool Carneros influence. All wines are estate-grown and produced in small quantities.

Food Pairing at Signorello

The elegant, fine-tannin character of Stags Leap District Cabernet makes Signorello wines more food-flexible than many of the more powerful Napa Cabs from Oakville or Rutherford. A fine-textured Stags Leap Cab is excellent alongside lamb preparations, particularly rack of lamb with Dijon and herbs, where the wine’s elegance complements the meat without overwhelming it. The estate Chardonnay, with its hillside freshness and acidity, pairs naturally with seared salmon, roasted chicken with lemon and tarragon, or seafood pasta. Padrone, as a structured Bordeaux blend built for aging, is best alongside richer preparations: braised beef short ribs, duck confit, or a serious cheese board with aged hard cheeses.

Signorello Estate: Frequently Asked Questions