Sloan Estate

Seattle-based businessman Stuart Sloan contacted David Abreu to help him find a site and spent three years looking for the right location. The 13 acres of vines were planted in 1997, overseen by David Abreu and his team. The first wine was the 2000 vintage, made by winemaker Mark Aubert and released in 2004. Martha McClellan became the winemaker on June 1, 2001. On June 20, 2011, Sloan confirmed that he had sold the property but did not disclose the identity of the buyer.

• Stuart Sloan spent three years searching for a site with David Abreu's help
• Vines planted in 1997 on the 13-acre vineyard
• First vintage 2000, made by Mark Aubert and released in 2004
• Martha McClellan winemaker since June 1, 2001
• Sale of the property confirmed by Sloan on June 20, 2011

The estate covers 40 acres in the eastern hills of Rutherford and overlooks the Napa Valley floor from elevations of 875 to 990 feet above sea level. Its 13 acres under vine grow in a mineral-rich, porous soil of fractured volcanic rock and sandy loam. The site also has white tufa soil, a cool marine influence, and generous sun exposure. The vineyard is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, and production from the vines is usually between 25 and 28 tons per year. The vineyard lies in the hills above the Auberge du Soleil hotel.

• 40 acres in the eastern hills of Rutherford, at 875 to 990 feet above sea level
• 13 acres under vine, planted in 1997
• Soils of fractured volcanic rock and sandy loam, with white tufa
• Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot
• Usually 25 to 28 tons of fruit per year

Harvest is conducted in small picks, with grapes picked in the early morning and left to cold soak for about 7 days before fermentation in both small lot tanks and oak barrels. After fermentation, extended maceration can last from 45 to 60 days. The estate's cave, a 360-foot tunnel drilled into the hillside, was engineered by Napa Valley wine cave pioneer Alf Burtelson. Martha McClellan earned a degree in Oenology and Viticulture from the University of Geisenheim in Germany and became an assistant winemaker at Merryvale in 1995. David Abreu continues to manage the vineyard. Michel Rolland (d. 2026) was the estate's consultant from 2001 to 2026.

• Cold soak of about 7 days, then fermentation in small lot tanks and oak barrels
• Extended maceration of 45 to 60 days after fermentation
• 360-foot hillside cave engineered by Alf Burtelson
• Winemaker Martha McClellan trained at the University of Geisenheim

SLOAN Proprietary Red has been the estate's flagship wine since its inaugural 2000 vintage and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, with varietal percentages that vary by vintage. The estate describes it as "a precise wine with defined structure and immense aging potential." ASTERISK Proprietary Red, the estate's second selection, debuted with the 2004 vintage and is made from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; in the estate's words it is "intended to satisfy the desire for instant gratification." ASTERISK traces back to three barrels of wine intended as a private label offering to one of Sloan's friends in Seattle. Sloan chose the name after finding that his first choice, Ampersand, had recently been trademarked. Total production of each wine is typically between 500 and 600 cases each vintage, with most of it sold direct through a members only allocation list. The estate has also made an extremely small amount of a port-styled wine that has never been bottled. In 2011, Wine Spectator reported that the early releases gained critical acclaim, including a 99-point score for the 2002 Cabernet.

• SLOAN Proprietary Red: flagship since 2000; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot
• ASTERISK Proprietary Red: second selection since 2004; mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
• Typically 500 to 600 cases of each wine per vintage
• Limited international distribution in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore
• Mailing list currently full, with a waiting list

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.sloanestate.com/Estate, https://www.sloanestate.com/People, https://www.sloanestate.com/Wine, https://www.sloanestate.com/Contact. Secondary sources: https://www.napawineproject.com/sloan-estate/, https://www.decanter.com/obituaries/obituary-michel-rolland-1947-2026/, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/napas-sloan-estate-sold-45247. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.