In an effort to dine
at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants( 800 and counting) and visit all 600 Napa
wineries( 350 and counting), my wife Linda and wine and foodie friends Josiane
and Ron Hable recently traveled to Kuleto Estate perched high above Napa.
From our home in
Danville, the winery is a little over an hour drive to St. Helena. You might
allow some extra time for your appointment as the last two miles are a private
road to the top of the mountain that has breathtaking views of Napa
Valley.
This magnificent
mountain top estate features 82 vineyard blocks and three different soil types
producing heavenly vines. It took famous restaurant owner Pat Kuleto nine years
to build this masterpiece before he sold it to Bill Foley in 2009. Pat also
lives on this 600 acre slice of heaven.
Kuleto is also one of
the 19 Foley Family of Wines owned by famous businessman and wine lover Bill
Foley.
Doug, our knowledgeable host began our tasting with a 2013 Pinot Noir that was
crisp and refreshing after the breathtaking ride up to the winery.
The 2013 Zinfandel was next and aged in Hungarian Oak for 18 months. It is 98% Zinfandel and 2% Syrah and great value at $35.
The 2014 Syrah was a blend of 99% Syrah and 1% Malbec. It was rated 90 points by Robert Parker and retailed for $40. We especially enjoyed this blend and took a bottle back to Danville with us.
The next wine was the 2002 Estate Cabernet that was full bodied and great value at $75 per bottle. A few bottles of this special vintage also went back with us.
The final treat was the 8.4 Zinfandel port that will be a great finish to any dinner, special occasion or enjoyed with a fine cigar.
We then had an elegant lunch at Brasswood Kitchen And Bar in St. Helena complete with a bakery, winery and sensory room.
The sensory room is unique as you can enjoy the smells of your favorite wines in large glass decanters. Brasswood has been open for a year and well worth visiting and dining for lunch or dinner.
The 2013 Zinfandel was next and aged in Hungarian Oak for 18 months. It is 98% Zinfandel and 2% Syrah and great value at $35.
The 2014 Syrah was a blend of 99% Syrah and 1% Malbec. It was rated 90 points by Robert Parker and retailed for $40. We especially enjoyed this blend and took a bottle back to Danville with us.
The next wine was the 2002 Estate Cabernet that was full bodied and great value at $75 per bottle. A few bottles of this special vintage also went back with us.
The final treat was the 8.4 Zinfandel port that will be a great finish to any dinner, special occasion or enjoyed with a fine cigar.
We then had an elegant lunch at Brasswood Kitchen And Bar in St. Helena complete with a bakery, winery and sensory room.
The sensory room is unique as you can enjoy the smells of your favorite wines in large glass decanters. Brasswood has been open for a year and well worth visiting and dining for lunch or dinner.
For more information
and to schedule an appointment at Kuleto go to:
