About Alta Nova Cellars
Desmond Echavarrie earned the Master Sommelier credential, held by fewer than 200 people worldwide, and left The French Laundry to build a label of his own. He named it Alta Nova, Latin for 'new heights,' and pointed it at a single idea: profound Cabernet Sauvignon drawn from elevated vineyard sites around Napa Valley.
Winemaker Britt Richards, whose résumé includes Jordan, Keller Estate, and Peter Michael, runs the cellar. The range is all cabernet: a Napa Valley flagship, a Reserve, the small-lot Lot 1981, a single-vineyard AG Vineyard bottling from Diamond Mountain, and a Paso Robles Westside cuvée. There is no public tasting room; wines move through an allocation list, with limited retail distribution.
Founded by a Master Sommelier who left The French Laundry to chase 'profound wines from elevated vineyard sites.'
What Wino Notion Loved
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Master Sommelier at the helmFounder Desmond Echavarrie holds the Master Sommelier credential, fewer than 200 people worldwide have it, and previously worked at The French Laundry.
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Experienced cellar handWinemaker Britt Richards arrived with experience at Jordan, Keller Estate, and Peter Michael.
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High-elevation focusThe name is Latin for 'new heights,' and the cabernets are sourced from high-altitude Napa sites, including a Diamond Mountain single vineyard.
"A Master Sommelier's allocation-list project built on high-elevation Napa cabernet."
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Featured Wines
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Alta Nova Cabernet Sauvignon
2023 · Napa Valley
The flagship bottling, sourced from high-elevation Napa Valley vineyard sites.
Allocation
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Lot 1981 Cabernet Sauvignon
2021 · Napa Valley
A separate small-lot cabernet bottling within the Alta Nova range.
Allocation
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
AG Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
2023 · Diamond Mountain District
A single-vineyard cabernet from the AG Vineyard on Diamond Mountain.
Allocation
Current releases as listed at altanovacellars.com, July 2026; no prices are published and wines are offered through the allocation list, with some retail distribution.
Tasting Experiences
Book on Tock →Allocation list
Alta Nova maintains no public tasting room; access runs through the allocation-list sign-up at altanovacellars.com or by contacting the winery directly.
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