About Memento Mori Winery
Memento Mori Winery was founded by three friends, Hayes Drumwright, Adriel Lares and Adam Craun, after Hayes survived a cancerous tumor at age 21, an experience that inspired the winery's name, Latin for 'remember that you have to die.' Their inaugural 2010 vintage produced just 150 cases from Andy Beckstoffer's Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, a source they were introduced to through vintner Juan Mercado.
In late 2022 the winery acquired a 16.5-acre estate at 4301 Azalea Springs Way in Calistoga, within the Calistoga AVA, centered on a renovated 1887 farmhouse. Winemaker Sam Kaplan, who has led production since the first vintage, blends fruit from multiple premium Napa Valley sites, including Vine Hill Ranch and Dr. Crane, into a single wine per vintage rather than producing individual vineyard-designate bottlings; annual production is roughly 1,000 cases, released each September to the mailing list.
Founded after a 21-year-old cancer survivor's brush with mortality, Memento Mori built its first vintage on 150 cases from Andy Beckstoffer's Georges III Vineyard.
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Calistoga EstateThe winery's 16.5-acre home property at 4301 Azalea Springs Way, acquired in 2022, sits in the Calistoga AVA around a renovated 1887 farmhouse.
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Collector-Priority AccessTastings are private and by appointment, with priority given to existing wine club collectors; prospective visitors join a waiting list.
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Blended, Not Vineyard-DesignateWinemaker Sam Kaplan blends fruit from top sites like Vine Hill Ranch and Dr. Crane into one wine per vintage rather than bottling each vineyard separately.
"A collector-focused Calistoga label built on Beckstoffer-grade fruit and a founding story about living fully."
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Featured Wines
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon, Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard
2018 · Napa Valley (Oakville)
A vineyard-designated Cabernet from the noted Vine Hill Ranch site in Oakville.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon
2021 · Napa Valley
The winery's blended Napa Valley Cabernet, reviewed by Wine Spectator.
Memento Mori sells primarily through an allocated mailing list, so consumer pricing is not consistently published; figures were not confirmed at time of research.
Tasting Experiences
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Private Collector Tasting
An appointment-only tasting at the winery's Tasting Salon, prioritized for existing wine club collectors.
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