The 2011 Haynes was just Mr. Lockwood’s second vintage. Back then he was working full time at Failla doing a little bit of everything but specializing in vineyard management. The first three tiny vintages were produced at Failla, but then in 2013, when his daughter was born, Mr. Lockwood decided to focus on Enfield, which permitted him to spend more time at home as a parent and allowed his wife to continue to work at her job, at the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce.
In his last vintage while at Failla, Mr. Lockwood produced 400 cases. This year, he expects to have 2,400 cases, which may be the limit of what Enfield can do under its current configuration.
In 2017, Mr. Lockwood for the first time drew a full salary from Enfield. Ms. Lockwood left the chamber and is now helping with the wine company.
“I have to decide whether I want to stay small and keep it a one-man show or grow it into a proper business and hire an employee or two,” Mr. Lockwood said. He is conscious, however, that the more he grows, the more administrative work may intrude on what he loves to do: work in the vineyards and the cellar.
“I enjoy the physical work,” he said. “I got into the work because I didn’t want a desk job.”
Complicating his decision is the fact that this year Mr. Lockwood took charge of farming the 10-acre Heron Lake vineyard. The owners were otherwise planning to sell it, and taking responsibility for the vineyard was the only way to ensure a supply of fruit. He has also taken charge of a one-acre, dry-farmed, organic cabernet sauvignon vineyard on Hennessey Ridge in the Vaca Mountains on the east side of Napa Valley, and finally has had the chance to make Napa cabernet.
“The whole point is to learn,” he said.
The two cabernets he makes are similar in spirit yet entirely different. The 2015 Sonoma Coast cabernet, from the Waterhorse Ridge Vineyard, just seven miles from the Pacific, is lean and refreshing, with aromas of flowers and herbs. It’s a tribute to the freshness of classic Bordeaux, with none of the lush flavors associated with California cabernet. It will be released in September.
