In many ways, the Markham story parallels the rise of viticulture and winemaking in Napa Valley and its emergence as a globally renowned wine region producing some of the world’s greatest wines.
A French Beginning
Given our focus on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the other great Bordeaux varieties, perhaps it’s not surprising that our story began with a Frenchman named Jean Laurent who immigrated to California from Bordeaux in 1852. One of the earliest French winemakers to settle in Napa Valley, Laurent first tried his hand at gold mining before discovering that the climate and soils of Napa Valley were ideal for wine grapes. In 1874, the same year that the St. Helena Star began publishing, Jean established Laurent Winery, which quickly rose to prominence in the early Napa Valley winemaking community.
After earning success for his early wines, in 1879, Jean built the Historic Stone Cellar that remains the heart of Markham Vineyards today. Along with the wineries of Krug and Schramsberg, it is also one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley. An early adopter of new technology including crush equipment, Jean was also one of the first winemakers to use French oak barrels, as opposed to the redwood tanks that were widely employed at the time. After Jean’s passing in 1890, the Stone Cellar continued to be operated successfully by a succession of owners before it became the St. Helena Cooperative Winery in the 1930s, which it remained until 1969.
The Birth of Markham Vineyards
In 1975, after careers in the military and the advertising industry, vintner Bruce Markham acquired our Yountville Ranch Vineyard, followed by the purchase of our Rockerbox Vineyard in Calistoga in 1976. After selling his early grapes to such noted wineries as Robert Mondavi and Beaulieu Vineyard, Bruce acquired Jean Laurent’s Historic Stone Cellar and founded Markham Vineyards in 1977. That same year, he hired our first employee, Bryan Del Bondio, and in 1978, Markham’s founding winemaker, Robert Foley, made the inaugural Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from our Yountville Ranch Vineyard. Two years later, we became just the fourth winery to produce a Napa Valley Merlot.
Under Bryan’s leadership, Markham quickly gained a reputation as a hidden gem in Napa Valley for its mastery of Bordeaux varietals, most notably Merlot—a reputation that was cemented when the 1990 Markham Merlot was honored as “Merlot of the Year” by Wine Spectator. In the years that followed, Markham’s star continued to shine bright, and in 1997, Bryan and Markham were again featured on the cover of Wine Spectator along with our award-winning Merlot.
We invite you to join us for a tasting to experience first-hand the rich heritage and deep history that have shaped our celebrated wines.
A New Chapter with Kimberlee Nicholls
One of the most pivotal decisions made during Bryan’s tenure was hiring Kimberlee Nicholls as enologist in 1993. Quickly establishing herself as an indispensable member of the team and a natural leader, Kimberlee was promoted to associate winemaker in 1997, and winemaker in 2001—becoming one of the first women in the valley to lead a winery of Markham’s stature. Under Kimberlee’s leadership, Markham continued to thrive, adding new varietals and exploring new offerings spotlighting the terroirs of Markham’s historic Napa Valley vineyards.
In 2018, as we celebrated our 40th anniversary vintage and the legacy of our historic Napa Valley winery, Kimberlee and our team made the bold decision to reimagine the Markham portfolio. With the goal of further elevating quality, while highlighting the complexity and character of our vineyards, we reduced our annual production by almost half and made major investments in the winery, including numerous new small-lot vessels for fermentation and aging. At the same time, Kimberlee began overseeing the replanting of our four estate vineyards to her personal selection of clones and rootstocks and using the finest modern viticultural practices. To create a showcase destination of equal quality to our acclaimed wines, that same year we unveiled the beautifully redesigned Tasting Room at our historic St. Helena winery near the Napa Vine Trail.
Continuing the Legacy
The years since have been a transformative period, ushering in a renaissance at Markham Vineyards. Guided by Kimberlee, Markham has become a beacon for quality and inclusion, with a women-led team that includes Senior Enologist Patricia Sciacca, Viticulturist Taylor Abudi, Director of Operations Adrienne Uboldi and Associate Winemaker Abigail Estrada. Because being good environmental stewards is also one of our core values, after nearly a decade of being Napa Green certified, we further strengthened our commitment to the environment when we transitioned to sustainable certification for our estate vineyards and winery through the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.
Today, using grapes from an estate program that includes four vineyards and land spanning 260 acres in Calistoga, Yountville and Oak Knoll, as well as fruit from the top growers, Markham is producing some of the most acclaimed wines in our long and storied history. From our Napa Valley, District Series and Marked Parcels collections to our pinnacle red Bordeaux blend, The Character, we continue to explore the charm and diversity of Napa Valley through wines that express an artful union of character, complexity and elegance.