History
The ground lies within Rancho Carne Humana, the Mexican land grant to Edward Bale, whose 1840s Mission planting opened the appellation's vineyard history. Henry Amstutz later planted wine varieties beside Henry Pallet's 1860 winery next door, and farm workers taken with the gravelly soil named the place Las Piedras, the little pebbles. Beckstoffer bought the property in 1983, one of his earliest St. Helena holdings, planted it to two Cabernet clones, and protected it under a conservation easement in 2015.
The Site
Twenty-five gross acres, 22 plantable, on alluvial ground at the Mayacamas' base shaped by Sulphur Creek runoff, peppered throughout with the stones of its name.
Vines and Blocks
Cabernet Sauvignon in designated blocks farmed per producer.
The Wines
Schrader's magnum-only Colesworthy and LPV bottlings, Carter's LA BAM, La Verdad and La Bomba, one of which brought Carter its first perfect score, plus B Cellars, Lithology, Fait-Main and Annulus designates: silky, red-gravel St. Helena Cabernet under one of the valley's oldest vineyard names.