St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit AXR with a Private Chauffeur
A small winery on a pre-Prohibition estate north of St. Helena, with wines by Jean Hoefliger, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
AXR began over breakfast at Bardessono in Yountville in October 2015, when four friends, Kelly Trevethan, Mark Schratz, Don Van Laeken and winemaker Jean Hoefliger, decided to start a winery together. They call themselves the FAB 4, and they still run it. Their home is a pre-Prohibition estate about 2 miles north of St. Helena, bought in 2017, where the estate vineyard keeps its earlier name, V Madrone.
The name comes from AxR1, a rootstock developed in 1879 by French horticulturist Victor Ganzin. It was widely planted in Napa Valley in the 1970s and then failed to phylloxera in the 1980s, a lesson the winery chose to honor. Swiss-born Jean Hoefliger trained at Changins, worked at Lynch-Bages and Newton, and spent fifteen years establishing Alpha Omega before joining AXR.
Visits are by appointment and guided one-on-one by an AXR Brand Ambassador. The Estate Tasting starts with a glass of the newest white release, walks you through the estate in a redwood grove, and ends with a private, seated tasting of current-release reds. The Single Vineyard tasting focuses on vineyard-designate wines, and the Century Experience pours five of the top releases.
Tasting Fees
AXR does not publish tasting prices online; the fee is confirmed when the visit is booked. Three experiences are offered: the Estate Tasting (a white wine welcome, an estate tour and a seated tasting of current-release reds), the Single Vineyard tasting with an estate tour, and the Century Experience, a five-wine tasting of AXR's most celebrated releases.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
3199 St. Helena Highway North, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment only. Visits are booked by email or phone.
Known For
AxR1 Cabernet Sauvignon, single-vineyard wines and the THVS barrel selection, made by Jean Hoefliger
Founded
2015 (estate bought in 2017)
Good to Know
Every visit is private and hosted one-on-one by a Brand Ambassador. Left turns into the estate from Highway 29 are not allowed, so guests arrive from the southbound lanes; your chauffeur plans the route.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn.
10:00 · Pickup at Alila Napa Valley or Harvest Inn
Stay close and the tasting starts right away. Alila Napa Valley, a Hyatt hotel and spa at the north end of St. Helena's Main Street, is about 5 minutes from AXR, and Harvest Inn, at the south end of town, is about 10 minutes away. AXR's entrance can only be reached from the southbound lanes of Highway 29, and your chauffeur plans the route for it. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · AXR Napa Valley
The Estate Tasting: a glass of white on arrival, a guided walk through the historic estate and a private, seated tasting of current-release reds. We allow about 90 minutes.
12:00 · Robert Mondavi Winery
About 15 minutes away. Robert Mondavi's 1966 Oakville winery, reopened in April 2026 after a multi-year renovation that kept its arch and bell tower. The Pioneer Tasting of Napa and estate wines is $60 plus an 18% hospitality fee, about an hour. Reservations strongly recommended (weekends often sell out); 21 and over.
1:15 · Lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch
About 12 minutes away. Lunch at Farmstead on Main Street in St. Helena, Long Meadow Ranch's farmhouse restaurant, open daily from 11:30 a.m. (11 a.m. on weekends). Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:35 · Failla Wines
About 12 minutes away. Winemaker Ehren Jordan's Napa Valley home on the Silverado Trail north of St. Helena, pouring single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, much of it from the far Sonoma Coast. Tastings are $65, about an hour, in the Lodge or outdoors when the weather allows. By reservation, daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3:35 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 3:50 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Optional: Brasswood
Adds about an hour. A winery tasting room on Highway 29 north of St. Helena, a short drive from Failla. The Taste of Napa Valley bar tasting takes walk-ins for up to 6 guests ($40, 30 minutes, three current releases); open daily until 5 p.m., so the last walk-in tasting starts by about 4:30.
About $125 per person in tasting fees for Robert Mondavi Winery and Failla Wines (plus Mondavi's 18% hospitality fee), plus the AXR tasting fee, which the winery confirms at booking; paid directly to each winery.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. The fourth stop is there if the day allows.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need a reservation at AXR?
Yes. AXR is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment only, booked by email or phone. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at AXR?
AXR does not list tasting prices on its website; the winery confirms the fee when the visit is booked. It offers the Estate Tasting, the Single Vineyard tasting and the Century Experience, as of September 2026.
Where does the name AXR come from?
From AxR1, a rootstock developed in 1879 by Victor Ganzin. It was widely planted in Napa Valley in the 1970s and failed to phylloxera in the 1980s.
Who owns AXR?
Its four founding partners, Kelly Trevethan, Mark Schratz, Don Van Laeken and winemaker Jean Hoefliger, known as the FAB 4.
Who makes the wine at AXR?
Jean Hoefliger, a Swiss-born winemaker who worked at Lynch-Bages and Newton and spent fifteen years establishing Alpha Omega.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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