About Castiel Estate
Castiel Estate was founded by Dave and Kathleen DiCesaris, who left careers in commercial real estate to buy an initial 67-acre parcel on Howell Mountain in April 2014, adding an adjacent 21 acres that July to form the 88-acre holding known as Le Colline Vineyard. The couple's connection to Napa Valley traces back to a chance meeting at the Freemark Abbey tasting room, where Dave came in seeking a 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon and Kathleen was working the counter.
Early vintages relied on fruit from the Mondavi family's Cold Springs Vineyard before the DiCesarises brought additional Howell Mountain sites into the blend as their own plantings matured. Celia Welch made the wines in the early years; Maayan Koschitzky is the current winemaker. Production stays small, around 400 to 500 cases annually, centered on a 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon with a Sauvignon Blanc added to the lineup more recently.