Del Dotto Estate (4.88)




Open By Appointment

Appt required? Yes

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2013

Directions:


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Tasting:
It feels a bit bizarre to be writing a second, separate review for the same winery, but after attending Del Dotto's New Estate Winery off of Hwy 29, the experience was unique enough that I think it warrants its own review. Having been through the great Cave Tour experience at the original Del Dotto, I wasn't as eager to shell out an extra $10 for what I assumed would be the same experience at the new location, plus some extra commercialism and more tourists. But after Za Nakhooda insisted this was the greatest tour and tasting experience in Napa Valley (and I ran out of Del Dotto wine at home), it was time to make my first visit to the new estate winery and caves.

For the uninitiated, Del Dotto is affectionately referred to as "Del Blotto" by Napa locals, a name attributable to the massive quantities of wine they pour during one of their tastings. On some level, I'm surprised more wineries don't do this. Las Vegas recognized decades ago that inebriated people make poor decisions with their money and Del Dotto has worked this theory to perfection. Not that I regret any of my purchases, but I bet there are people out there who end up buying a lot more than they planned (see: Barlin, Meredith and chocolate-covered port!).

The new Del Dotto Estate caves opened in 2007 and is the beneficiary of more than a decade of premium wine sales through their original location. The easiest way to describe the new facility is that it's over-the-top in every way. Frescoes on the walls and ceilings, marble columns and flooring -- Del Dotto built the facility to match the class of the cave tour they designed at their original location. We started our Del Dotto tasting with a quick check-in at the bar and a taste of their Sauvignon Blanc. We were greeted by our host Branden Miguelgorry and the two other people we would be tasting with: a dot-com exec from the South Bay and his significantly younger girlfriend. To our benefit, he was a VIP, so we got to tag along as he got the VIP treatment!

Branden gave us a quick overview of where Del Dotto while illustrating the vineyards locations on a valley map, and then he escorted us behind a curtained off area into the "Sacred Caves". That's right, the new Del Dotto is obnoxious enough to post a sign requesting quiet while in the "Sacred Caves". Setting the pretension aside, though, the tour was fantastic. All tastings are done from the barrel. We started with the '09 Del Dotto Sangiovese, and followed that with their '09 Cave Blend. Both were good but not amazing. We then tried an excellent Cabernet Franc, the '09 Cabernet Franc 7 Rows, and our first barrel Cab, the '09 Lot O Cabernet Sauvignon.


All of that was an appetizer, though. We moved back into the "sacred area of the sacred caves", a section cordoned off by an iron gate. Within the inner sanctum, we started with a taste of Giovanni's Tuscan Reserve, Del Dotto's take on a Super Tuscan that was quite good. We then sampled two versions of Del Dotto's "The David" Bordeaux blend: one from Rutherford grapes, and one from Howell Mountain. The Howell Mountain David was pretty amazing, but also pretty shockingly priced at $175/bottle. We then hit what was the signature moment of the tour the first time: the side-by-side taste of the same grapes, one from Sylvain French oak barrels and one from Missouri oak. When I first did the barrel tour, I preferred the American oak. But as Branden put it, this barrel gave the wine a Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque sauce nose, and I preferred the better balance of the French oak.

Oh, but there was more. I think for many, this would have marked the end of the tour. But with our VIPs along, we tried 2 additional reserve wines. The first was the '09 Block 3 Cabernet -- this came from the same harvest as our side-by-side oak comparison (which was Block 2), but came from Block 3 which was higher on St. Helena Mountain. We followed that with a taste of a featured VIP Catalog wine, the 2009 Vineyard 887 9 Oaks French Barrel Blend. This was 100% Cabernet -- the blend refers to a proprietary blend of French oak that Dave Del Dotto created. Sourcing from 9 different spots in France, Del Dotto hired an American cooper to build custom barrels using all 9 woods. The wine was aged for 24 months in these barrels and was delicious.

We exited the Sacred Caves and headed out to the atrium for the conclusion of our tour. Waiting for us was a plate of prosciutto and Italian meats and cheese to pair with yet more tastes. We had mentioned we enjoyed the Cingale Pinot Noir, and so Branden got us ataste of that. He also arranged for us to try a sample of their Syrah, a wine they typically only sell to VIPs. We finished with their port paired with dark chocolate.






Does the Del Blotto name make sense now? The tasting was the most expensive of our trip (at $60), but considering we tried 15 wines, most of which retailed for $85-$125, enjoyed a plate of fine meats and cheeses, and had a personal tour guide for 2 hours, I think the cost is justified. One other question you probably have: after trying 15 wines, how the heck did I remember everything we tasted? Del Dotto has moved to a barcode system. As we tried each wine in the caves, Branden scanned the barcode on the barrel with a handheld device. At the end of the tour, we got a print out of everything Branden had scanned within the caves.

In short, I think Del Dotto has perfected the art of the tasting experience. The only thing prohibitive is the price, but as I previously mentioned I think the tasting cost is actually fairly justified, and while the wines are expensive by typical Napa standards, they are also among some of the better wines I tasted on my most recent trip. I'll be back.

Who's the kid with the ridiculous purple teeth?

Recommended wine: The Vineyard 887 9 Oaks Cab and The David were the standouts for me, but I legitimately enjoyed every wine we tried.

Ratings (out of 5):


WINE
5.00
TASTING ROOM
5.00

ATMOSPHERE
5.00
VALUE
4.50

OVERALL
4.88

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