Sloan Estate

Stuart Sloan purchased the Rutherford property in 1998 and immediately set about planting Sacrashe Vineyard in 1997, choosing a hillside site on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains. The first vintage was 2000, made with winemaker Mark Aubert and released in 2004. Martha McClellan joined as winemaker in June 2001, and Michel Rolland came aboard as consulting oenologist that same year. David Abreu, one of Napa's most sought-after vineyard managers, has overseen farming since the original planting. From the outset, the estate committed to sub-1,000-case production and mailing-list-only distribution, a model that has defined its cult status ever since.

• Property purchased 1998; Sacrashe Vineyard planted 1997 at 875 to 990 feet elevation in Rutherford AVA
• First vintage was 2000, made by Mark Aubert; released to the market in 2004
• Martha McClellan hired June 2001 and Michel Rolland retained as consulting oenologist the same year
• David Abreu has managed the vineyard since the original replanting in 1997

In 2011 Sutong Pan and Jenny Pan of the Goldin Group acquired Sloan Estate for a reported $40 million, a record transaction price at the time that underscored the property's standing among Napa's elite. The Pan family made a deliberate choice to keep the entire production team in place, ensuring that Martha McClellan, David Abreu, and Michel Rolland continued in their respective roles. As of early 2026, all three remain active and no major changes to the winemaking program have been announced. The estate remains ultra-private and is not open to the public, with wine available only through mailing-list allocation.

• Acquired by Goldin Group (Sutong Pan and Jenny Pan) in 2011 for a reported $40 million
• Pan family retained Martha McClellan, David Abreu, and Michel Rolland without interruption
• Estate is not open to the public; allocation is mailing-list only
• All three members of the production team confirmed still active as of early 2026

Every bottle of Sloan wine comes from a single holding: Sacrashe Vineyard, located in the Rutherford AVA on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains. The 40-acre estate contains only 13 planted acres (5.3 hectares), with the remainder left as natural terrain. Elevation ranges from 875 to 990 feet, and the hillside position delivers cool ocean breezes and fog influence that moderate Napa's warmth and extend the growing season. Soils are a complex mix of fractured volcanic rock, sandy loam, and white tufa (volcanic ash), providing excellent drainage and contributing to the concentrated, structured character of the wines.

• Sacrashe Vineyard: 13 acres planted (5.3 hectares) within a 40-acre estate in Rutherford AVA
• Elevation 875 to 990 feet on eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains
• Soils: fractured volcanic rock, sandy loam, and white tufa (volcanic ash)
• Hillside location brings cool Pacific breezes and fog influence, moderating temperatures

All fruit is hand-harvested and sourced exclusively from Sacrashe Vineyard, with no purchased grapes at any tier. After harvest, grapes undergo a seven-day cold soak before fermentation proceeds in a combination of barrel and stainless steel. Ageing lasts 26 months in 100% new French oak, exclusively from Taransaud and Djarnajou cooperages. The flagship SLOAN Proprietary Red is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend incorporating Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, capped at 500 cases. Second label ASTERISK, introduced with the 2004 vintage, blends Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is similarly limited to 500 cases. The estate recommends cellaring its top wines for 15 to 25 years, with exceptional vintages capable of developing for 30 or more years.

• Seven-day cold soak precedes fermentation in barrel and stainless steel; all fruit hand-harvested
• Aged 26 months in 100% new French oak from Taransaud and Djarnajou cooperages
• SLOAN Proprietary Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot; 500 cases
• ASTERISK second label (debut 2004): Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend; 500 cases

Sloan Estate represents one of Napa Valley's most convincing arguments for terroir-focused ultra-premium production at microscopic scale. Three perfect 100-point scores from Robert Parker across the 2002, 2007, and 2013 vintages place it among a very small group of California estates to achieve that distinction more than once. The combination of a single-vineyard source, a stable and celebrated production team (McClellan, Abreu, Rolland), and a resolutely allocation-based distribution model has sustained its cult status across two ownership regimes. For students of American fine wine, Sloan illustrates how Rutherford hillside sites with volcanic soils can produce structured, long-lived Cabernet blends that benchmark collectors worldwide.

• Three vintages (2002, 2007, 2013) earned 100-point scores from Robert Parker
• One of the few Napa estates to maintain a fully stable winemaking team across a change of ownership
• Single-estate, single-vineyard model with no purchased fruit at any production tier
• Retail prices of $350 to $500 per bottle and mailing-list-only access place it firmly in the Napa cult wine category