Viader was founded in 1986 by Delia Viader, who was born in Buenos Aires and earned a doctorate in philosophy from the Sorbonne before studying at MIT, UC Berkeley and UC Davis. Her estate sits on Deer Park Road in the hills below the Howell Mountain appellation, on slopes that reach a 32 percent grade at about 1,200 feet. The first commercial release came from the 1989 vintage. Viader's signature wine is a proprietary red blending Cabernet Sauvignon with a generous share of Cabernet Franc, a combination that gives the wine both power and perfume and set it apart from the Cabernet-heavy blends common in Napa at the time. The estate also makes single-variety bottlings and other reds from its hillside vineyard. Delia's son Alan Viader took over winemaking in 2006, carrying the family style into a second generation. Viader is a strong choice for readers curious about how Cabernet Franc can lift a Napa mountain red.