About Domaine Helena
Domaine Helena is a small-production estate tucked into the Mayacamas foothills outside Middletown, where Mount St. Helena rises in the background and the Napa county line sits just over the ridge. Founder Andre Gueziec arrived at wine after a first career in technology, and he personally hosts the intimate, by-appointment tastings that overlook the vines.
The estate's Mt. St. Helena Vineyards grow at roughly 1,100 feet on volcanic soils, farmed organically with CCOF certification, with hot days and cool mountain nights ripening small lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah alongside estate olives. The house style leans French: restrained, lower in alcohol and built for the dinner table rather than the scoreboard, though a Wine Enthusiast 90-point Cabernet Sauvignon shows the scoreboard follows anyway.
Visits are unhurried and personal, arranged by phone or through the online scheduler, and they reward travelers looking for something quieter than the crowds south of the county line. Minutes from Calistoga by mountain road, the property makes a natural detour for anyone crossing between Napa Valley and Clear Lake.
