Whalebone vineyard derives its name from the many whale and marine fossils trapped in the vineyards’ broken shale and limestone. Calcareous treasures were left behind after the underwater canyons and basins retreated, and when the earth shifted and folded during the Miocene, some six million years ago.

In 1989, on this hillside reminiscent of a moonscape, the Simpson Family planted this distinctive property exclusively to Cabernet Sauvignon. Today the vines have lost their youthful exuberance and are gracefully transforming into a harmonious, low vigor vineyard, which needs little manipulation to produce low yields and high concentration required for quality wine.