American Viticultural Area · CA
Atlas Peak
Atlas Peak is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in CA, established in 1992. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.
The Atlas Peak boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.
At a glance
Established
1992
State
CA
Climate
Mountain Mediterranean
Signature varietals
Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB
About the Atlas Peak AVA
Atlas Peak, designated 1992, is a high-elevation American Viticultural Area in the Vaca Range on the eastern side of Napa Valley. Most of its vineyards sit between 760 and 2,600 feet — largely above the fog line that blankets the valley floor — so the area gets more even sunlight during the day and cooler, clearer nights. The soils are volcanic, thin, and well-drained, and yields are naturally low. Atlas Peak lies entirely within the larger Napa Valley AVA and, in turn, within North Coast.
The signature grape is Cabernet Sauvignon, which here tends toward firm structure, bright acidity, and dark-fruited concentration thanks to the elevation and the rocky red soils. The AVA also has a notable history with Sangiovese, planted in quantity in the 1980s and 1990s, and grows other Bordeaux red varieties. Because the vineyards sit above the marine fog, the growing season is long and the diurnal temperature swing is wide — conditions that favor slow, complete ripening.
Nearby AVAs
Other American Viticultural Areas closest to Atlas Peak — useful when a vineyard sits inside more than one AVA at once.