James Cole Winery: Dreams Do Come True

In a quest to visit all 600 Napa wineries( 400 and counting), my wife  Linda and I were recently referred to James Cole Winery in Napa and we were not disappointed.

James and Colleen Harder are passionate people. They realized their dream when they purchased the vineyard in 2000.They are raising their son and daughter on this beautiful property and have established a stellar  reputation in the wine world for making great wines. 

Our host for the tasting was Nick whose passionate explanation of the wines was very enjoyable. The winery sits on 8.5 acres of pristine property located on Silverado Trail. Winemaker Sybrand Albertus Straus Van Zyl is from Capetown, South Africa and his wines were all great works of art.

We began with a 2017 Rose from the Sierra Foothills that was very refreshing on this warm Napa day.  Next was the 2015 Privado, which means “Private”, which was a heavenly blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot from Spring Mountain grapes. It was an exquisite blend of rich red wine that we brought back to Danville with us.

The third tasting was a 2015 100% Malbec  and a truly full bodied wine that was a joy to experience.  Next the 100% 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, which had a deep royal color and very smooth sensation on your palate.

The final taste was the 2014 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Umbral meaning “start of a journey” that was aged in French oak and was rich in color and flavor. It was so great that a bottle took the journey back to Danville with us.

This winery is definitely a “must do.” The wines and ambiance are special and the people are very warm and friendly. 

For lunch, we dined in downtown Napa at charming Celadon featuring  great calamari and a variety of sandwiches.

For more information and to make a reservation go to:
https://www.jamescolewinery.com/