David Arthur Winery: incredible wines and views

The next time you plan a trip to the Napa Valley and you want to visit a winery that’s off the beaten path, make an appointment at David Arthur Winery, located to the east of the Silverado Trail north of Yountville.

The driveway is steeper and longer than you can imagine (it’s called “Long Ranch Road” for a reason!), but once you get to the top of Pritchard Hill, you’ll see that the trek was worth it. The views of the valley 1200 feet below are incredible!

I went for a tasting in September last year and, unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures. Don't make the same mistake! (The one above is from their website and does not do the beautiful views justice.)

I must have tasted ten different wines that day—they were some of the biggest, most intense mountain-grown wines I have ever tried. The one wine that I knew I had to go home with was the Cab Franc ($60/bottle).

After allowing this wine some time to mellow out in the bottle, I opened it this past Monday night. The 2009 David Arthur Cabernet Franc was just as big and intense as I remembered it!

Dark purple and very concentrated in the glass, this Franc has a perfume of black cherry, sweet blackberry jam, and violets. The palate is lush and effusive, offering layers of cherry cola, vanilla, star anise, and crème de cassis. Tannins are superfine and velvety. It ends with ripe berry and spice notes (and the urge to take another sip).

This wine was even better the second night, which tells me I could have held onto it a little longer (and that I should have gotten more than just the one bottle). The winery didn’t make much of it (less than 150 cases), as is usually the case with Napa-grown Cab Franc. If you can get your hands on some, don’t put off the pleasure of drinking it for too long!

Oh, and be sure to check out Chappellet and Ovid while you’re up there on Pritchard Hill!

Making it up Sage Canyon Road to Kuleto's

For months now, I've been trying to make it up to Pat Kuleto's Estate Winery out on Sage Canyon Road, which is a very windy eastbound route that leads deep into Chiles Valley (between Napa and Sacramento). Finally, we made the appointment and the drive wasn't too bad--I was lucky enough to be the passenger, so I could thoroughly enjoy the views of Lake Hennessey to the right and lush green forests on the right.

Well, it was definitely worth the drive. Our tour guide, Rick, was just as excited to tell us about the property as we were to hear about it. After pouring us generous glasses of Rosato (enough to last us the length of the tour), Rick showed us around.

Every inch of the estate has been taken into consideration, from the man-made lake at the bottom of the ravine that supplies all of their water, to the vegetable garden and chicken coop, to the numerous benches (to enjoy the views) and the 19 pizza ovens (for all the special events at the winery).

The tasting room reminds me of an old friend's living room--it's both rustic and cozy (think Tuscany meets New Mexico), with plush leather couches and lots of candles. But because it wasn't too hot, we opted to sit outside on the terrace.

We tasted the 2006 Chardonnay, the 2007 Zinfandel, the 2006 Syrah, and the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. They were all delicious--I liked them all (even the Chardonnay). We bought a bottle of the brand-new Sangiovese out of curiosity, and we are seriously considering joining the Wine Club, aptly dubbed the "Kingfish" Club--for people who like to eat like a king and drink like a fish. (I think it would be worth it to join the club just for the party invitations!).

Our drive up Sage Canyon Road would not have been complete without a visit to Neyers Vineyards and Chappellet Winery. Tune in tomorrow to hear more....