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Open 10:00 to 5:00
Appt required? Yes
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2011
Directions:
View Napa in a larger map or Get Directions
Tasting:
Del Dotto currently has two tasting rooms and caves that are open in the Napa Valley. My first trip to Del Dotto came when they only had one, though. The original Del Dotto Historic Winery and Caves exists near downtown Napa off of Atlas Peak Road. You get 2 options: a $25 bar tasting or a $50 barrel tasting and tour. Go for the barrel tasting at least once.
We spent 2 and a half hours learning about different sources of wood for barrels, toasting barrels, interesting anecdotes about wine and winemaking, interspersed with barrel tastings of some excellent wine. The highlight is the barrel taste of their reserve Cabernet, out of both Missouri and French oak. You can pick your favorite, and if you purchase, they bottle and ship to you directly from the barrel you tasted. It's a little pricey, but considering the personal service (you get your wine from THAT barrel) and the really high quality of the wine, it seems like a bargain. After sampling a number of wines (Cave Blend, Merlot, Sangiovese, regular Cabernet), you finish the tour with a sampling of Port paired with dark chocolate.
Del Dotto currently has two tasting rooms and caves that are open in the Napa Valley. My first trip to Del Dotto came when they only had one, though. The original Del Dotto Historic Winery and Caves exists near downtown Napa off of Atlas Peak Road. You get 2 options: a $25 bar tasting or a $50 barrel tasting and tour. Go for the barrel tasting at least once.
We spent 2 and a half hours learning about different sources of wood for barrels, toasting barrels, interesting anecdotes about wine and winemaking, interspersed with barrel tastings of some excellent wine. The highlight is the barrel taste of their reserve Cabernet, out of both Missouri and French oak. You can pick your favorite, and if you purchase, they bottle and ship to you directly from the barrel you tasted. It's a little pricey, but considering the personal service (you get your wine from THAT barrel) and the really high quality of the wine, it seems like a bargain. After sampling a number of wines (Cave Blend, Merlot, Sangiovese, regular Cabernet), you finish the tour with a sampling of Port paired with dark chocolate.
Recommended wine: Everything! I wasn’t enamored with their Sangiovese, but every other wine was very good. Their cabs are great, the Caves Blend is affordable and tasty, and they make some great higher end wines as well ("The David", "Giovanni's Tuscan Reserve"). They recently released their Cingale Pinot Noir from their Cingale vineyard, which tastes unlike any Pinot I have ever had (in a good way). They also make some exceptional ports, all of which can also be purchased in a chocolate covered bottle.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 5.00 |  TASTING ROOM | 5.00 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 5.00 |  VALUE | 4.50 |
 OVERALL | 4.88 | ||
When should we expect a review of your rumored recent visit to the Del Dotto St. Helena location?
ReplyDeleteRespectfully,
An anonymous Del Dotto fan
Soon, very soon!
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