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Atlas Peak in Napa County, California is the name of one of the county's highest points, and the AVA (American Viticultural Area) which surrounds it. The peak reaches 811m (2663ft), falling only slightly short of Mount Vaca just to the south-east and Sugarloaf Mountain at the northern edge of the Howell Mountain AVA. It lies on the western side of the Vaca Mountains, the range which separates the Napa and Sacramento valleys.
It is not the Napa river, but the much smaller Foss river which is largely responsible for the particular terroir in this Napa sub-region. Every Atlas Peak vineyard is located within the Foss Valley. The Foss flows down from the Milliken Reservoir, bypassing the AVA's two key wineries (Antinori California and Atlas Peak) before plunging down a deep, narrow gorge and into the Rector Reservoir below. Beyond the reservoir, the Foss eventually meets the Napa half-way between Oakville and Yountville.
The highest vines here in the Atlas Peak AVA are planted at some 510m (1665ft) above sea level. This altitude is of course viticulturally important in its own right, but perhaps the most significant thing about Atlas Peak and its vineyards is their elevation above the other Napa Valley vineyard areas. The floor of the Napa Valley around Oak Knoll lies at less than 15 meters above sea level, and there are tangible differences between the wines made from the hot valley floor and those made in the cooler, brighter air on the mountainsides. Those made further up lean towards finer, classic styles, with good acid/sugar balance, while those from the valley floor are more powerful and fruit-forward.
Atlas Peak grapes enjoy long, warm summer days, but are afforded the chance to cool down at night thanks to the increased diurnal temperature variation here. The soils are mostly volcanic and highly porous, which aids with drainage and prevents waterlogging. This kind of terroir lends itself naturally to low-yield, high-quality wines.
As is the case in most other Napa AVA's, Atlas Peak shows a heavy preference for Cabernet Sauvignon, which accounts for more than one half of the vineyard area. The classic Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon is noticeably finer than the traditional, muscular 'Napa Cab', and leans in the direction of European, Old World reds. Zinfandel takes second place among the reds, followed by small quantities of Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese. Atlas Peak's white wines are made almost exclusively from Chardonnay.
The producers of Atlas Peak wines (a number of wineries outside the AVA buy in Atlas Peak fruit), make no secret of their happy situation, drawing close attention to their vineyards' altitude on bottle labels and in promotional materials.
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