St. Helena · Napa Valley
Visit Impensata with a Private Chauffeur
Maremma-inspired Napa reds from Calistoga's Engelhard Vineyard and the summit of Howell Mountain, poured by arrangement at Wheeler Farms in St. Helena, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Impensata grew out of a long friendship between managing partner Michael Laipple and builder Louis Ciminelli, who first shared his vision of a family vineyard on Howell Mountain in 2000. Ciminelli's Laelius Winegrowing, set up in 2015, gives the project two estate vineyards, and the name and spirit look to Italy: the muse is Maremma, the wild west of southern Tuscany, home to wines such as Sassicaia and Masseto. The motto is Festina Lente, make haste slowly.
The estate vineyards are the historic Engelhard Vineyard, between 600 and 720 feet in the western hills of Calistoga on rhyolitic tuff, and the Ciminelli Vineyard near the summit of Howell Mountain, planted for Merlot. Impensata also sources from David Abreu's Las Posadas and from Ecotone, formerly Thorevilos. Winemaker Nigel Kinsman makes the wines, long with the late Michel Rolland consulting; Jeb Dunnuck gave the 2021 Engelhard Proprietary Red, 301 cases, 99 points.
Impensata plans to invite guests to its estate vineyards one day. Until then, it hosts tastings at Wheeler Farms in St. Helena, the winery where Nigel and his team make the wine, arranged ahead by email or phone. Wheeler Farms sits on Zinfandel Lane in the St. Helena AVA, with gardens and a kitchen, so the visit has a real sense of place even though it is not at the vineyards.
Tasting Fees
Tasting fees to be verified upon reservation. Impensata does not publish a tasting fee; it is confirmed when the tasting is arranged.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
588 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena
AVA
St. Helena
Visiting
Tastings by arrangement at Wheeler Farms, 588 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, requested ahead by email or phone; we arrange it on your behalf. The estate vineyards are not yet open to visitors. Days, hours and length of visit are not published.
Known For
Maremma-inspired Merlot and a Cabernet-based Proprietary Red from the Engelhard Vineyard in Calistoga
Founded
Laelius Winegrowing established 2015; vision dating to 2000
Good to Know
Allocations are offered through a sign-up on the winery's website. Ages, group size and pet policy are not published; we confirm them when the tasting is arranged.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a nearby hotel such as Harvest Inn or Southbridge Napa Valley. Impensata sets tasting times when it confirms the request, so the start time may move.
10:00 · Pickup at Harvest Inn or Southbridge Napa Valley
Harvest Inn, a vineyard-side resort at the south end of St. Helena, is about 5 minutes from Wheeler Farms, and Southbridge Napa Valley, on Main Street, about 8 minutes. If Impensata offers a different time, we build the day around it. The day below runs about seven hours, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:15 · Impensata
A tasting of Impensata's wines at Wheeler Farms, arranged ahead. Impensata does not publish a length of visit or fee, so we allow about an hour and confirm the details when the tasting is set.
12:00 · Barnett Vineyards
About 25 minutes away. A small family estate near the top of Spring Mountain, with views from about 2,000 feet over Napa Valley. The Tasting Experience is $125, a guided flight of five current releases in about 90 minutes. Open daily by prepaid appointment, with tastings at 10 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.
1:55 · Lunch at Brasswood Bar + Kitchen
About 20 minutes away. Lunch at Brasswood Bar + Kitchen on Highway 29 north of St. Helena, with a patio and seasonal menus, open daily from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
3:15 · Sphaerics
About 12 minutes away. A small Calistoga winery where the visit begins in the cellar with a barrel preview of the new vintage and ends with a seated flight of recent releases. $75, about 90 minutes, waived with a wine purchase. By appointment.
4:45 · Back to your hotel
Back by about 5:05 p.m., about seven hours after pickup.
About $200 per person in tasting fees for Barnett and Sphaerics, plus Impensata's fee, which is confirmed when the tasting is arranged. Fees are paid directly to each winery.
Barnett's noon tasting sets the morning, and Impensata confirms its own time when it accepts the request. Sphaerics in Calistoga is a short drive from the Engelhard Vineyard's hills. The day runs about seven hours, back around 5:05 p.m.
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 Impensata?
Yes. Tastings are arranged in advance by email or phone, at Wheeler Farms in St. Helena. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at Impensata?
Impensata does not publish a tasting fee; it is to be verified upon reservation, as of September 2026.
Where do you taste Impensata?
At Wheeler Farms on Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena, where the wines are made. The estate vineyards in Calistoga and on Howell Mountain are not yet open to visitors.
Who makes Impensata?
Winemaker Nigel Kinsman, who also makes wine at Wheeler Farms for other small labels; Michael Laipple is managing partner.
What does Impensata mean for the wine style?
The winery takes its inspiration from Maremma in southern Tuscany: a Merlot and a Cabernet-based red from Napa mountain and hillside vineyards.
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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