Elan Vineyards is a small family estate high on Atlas Peak, run by Patrick and Linda Elliot-Smith. Patrick moved to Napa Valley in 1975 and planted his first vineyards on the mountain in 1979, making him one of the early growers on Atlas Peak. The estate sits at 4500 Atlas Peak Road at about 2,100 feet, with roughly 13 acres planted on a property of more than 40 acres, in the thin volcanic soils that give Atlas Peak Cabernet its firm structure. Patrick made a first non-commercial wine in 1991, and the first commercial release was the 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon. He remains the winemaker today, giving Elan a consistent, personal style over three decades. The lineup is focused: Cabernet Sauvignon, a Proprietary Blend and a Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon. Elan sells directly through its mailing list and wine club, so it is little known outside its following, but it is a classic example of a mountain grower making long-lived wine from its own vines.