It seemed like we’d climbed halfway to the stars.

Up and up Pine Mountain we went, following directions for a dinner celebrating the release of the first wine from a new mountaintop viticultural venture.

We’d approached the outskirts of Cloverdale along Highway 101 and then skirted off on two-lane roads that continued to narrow as we wound toward the vineyard aerie on the Sonoma/Mendocino mountaintop border.

Through horse gates — yes, this is country more suited to getting about on horseback than in motorized vehicles — and hairpin turns, we pushed on, now on a dirt road that snaked up beyond 2,000 feet.

Seemingly miles below us was the majestic Alexander Valley and the city of Cloverdale, and, far to the south, the suburban plains of Marin County.

Finally, at the end of our two-hour drive from Napa, we arrived at the viticultural home of Captûre Wines, a series of mountaintop tracts brimming with hardy cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot. There are 36 acres of vines up here in the clouds on a 240-acre parcel that includes a rather grand farmhouse from the early 20th century as well as a caretaker’s cottage.

The sustainably farmed mountain estate rises from 1,600 to 2,400 feet above the Alexander Valley floor. The partners boast that this elevated vineyard site enjoys a consistently warmer climate that allows the high-elevation grapes to reach optimum varietal expression. Their slogan says it all — “Bordeaux tradition, Frontier spirit.”

The winemaking team May-Britt and Denis Malbec, formerly of Château Latour in Bordeaux and residents of St. Helena, “carefully select the methods that bring out the rich personality of our terroir, for elegant wines of depth, nuance and longevity,” noted Ben Sharp, Captûre Wines president.

Along with the appropriately named Malbecs, this new wine estate is carefully tended by a partnership that includes Mike and Carol Foster as well as Ben and Tara Sharp. Their mountain estate, historic Tin Cross Vineyards, has been planted to grapevines since early homesteaders first settled here in 1855.

The initial Bordeaux offering from the Captûre team is a blend from the 2008 harvest. There’s also a reserve, with both to be released in the winter of 2010.

For the moment, however, Captûre has released to the market a 2008 Tradition sauvignon blanc, a wine that has been getting raves from wine press and consumers alike.

Two dozen guests gathered on the farmhouse verandah the other night learned that the partners had tasted sauvignon blancs from France, New Zealand, Chile, Spain as well as California before settling on a style all truly liked.

“We don’t like the grassy sauvignon blancs of New Zealand,” Denis Malbec told those at the weekend dinner party, guests who’d marveled at this amazing property and its hillside blanket of vines. “We liked some Bordeaux sauvignon blancs, some from the Loire and also appreciated the characteristics of the California wines.

“California sauvignon blancs are made with quite ripe fruit; they are very fruity and opulent. The Bordeaux wines are more complex, with touches of citrus and even some wood. We also liked the minerality found in the Loire (sauvignon blancs).”

Malbec said Captûre found two “beautiful” North Coast vineyard sites already planted to sauvignon blanc. “We farm the grapes,” he added. “We selected sauvignon blanc grapes from two distinct vineyards — Kick Ranch in Santa Rosa and Windrem Ranch in Kelseyville. The blend of these two terroirs showcases the distinct characteristics of the sauvignon blanc, brightness and minerality from one, ripe citrus and floral notes from the other.”

He pointed out the Captûre offering is 100 percent sauvignon blanc, “no blending in semillon. We don’t use any wood because we wanted a wine in which you could taste the terroir. I think we’ve achieved that.”

Captûre Tradition 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, $32: A juicy, attention-grabbing wine with plenty of intensity, it delights with ripe citrus on both nose and palate, with layers of pear and stonefruit coming forward for the elegant finish. A creamy wine, it has plenty of attractive mineral character and a delightful crisp acidity. With only 550 cases produced, and similarly limited production for each of the Bordeaux blends, all wines are allocated solely according to a membership list. To inquire about wine allocations, log onto www.capturewines.com.