Robert Young Estate Winery traces to 1858, when Peter Young, having come west from New York during the Gold Rush, settled a 448-acre ranch in Alexander Valley. His grandson Robert Young became the first grower to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the valley in 1963, and later worked with UC Davis to propagate the Chardonnay clone that Chateau St. Jean used for the first vineyard-designated wine ever released in the United States. Robert Young Vineyards grew into the largest family-owned grape grower in Alexander Valley, and in 1997 Robert's son Fred Young and his siblings founded the estate winery, selecting the best five percent of the family's fruit for small-lot, estate-grown wines. Now in its sixth generation on the same land, the winery produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bordeaux blends from a tasting room perched atop the estate with panoramic Alexander Valley views.