David Arthur Vineyards

David Arthur Vineyards is located at the end of what is probably the most scenic “driveway” on the eastern side of Napa Valley, Long Ranch Road. This ribbon of pavement rises well above the valley floor, clinging to the sides of the rugged and profoundly rocky hillsides with a tenacity rooted in a desire to reach the ridge tops offering the few visitors that ever see this part of Napa Valley incredible panoramic views on a clear day from north to south.

This part of Napa Valley is prime real estate; besides vineyard land, the owner of the San Diego Chargers, Art Spanos previously owned a house here as did an ex-governor of New Jersey. Founder, David Long continues to oversee the winery operations although his daughter Laura has taken over much of the day-to-day business. Tastings are sometimes held with David or a family member, but more often with one of their personable and engaging hosts.

David Arthur was founded in 1980; their first vintage was in 1985. However, the Long’s history in Napa Valley predates this by several decades. David’s parents Don and Anne Long first fell in love with Napa in the 1950s; their family would often visit the valley. Don was a World War II Veteran and after the war, was a highly sought after butcher – he leased space in what is now the Stanford Shopping Center (not far from Stanford University). Later he opened his own supermarket in Portola Valley in the Ladera Country Shopper called Long’s Quality Foods at 3130 Alpine Road; this market was in operation from 1957 through 1997 when Don and his business partner Bruce Gamble closed it. It reopened in 1998 as Bianchini’s Market and is still in business at that location.

Don lived a very full life and was active well into his 90s even helping out during harvest much later in life; he passed away in 2018 at age 95. It was an honor to have met him several times and if we ever live to that age – his quality of life late in life is something we remember being highly envious of.

Bianchini’s Market, Ladera Country Shopper Portola Valley

We have known David’s brother Bob Long for a number of years; we even joined him on a wine related trip to China many years ago. He developed Montagna Estate, located a short drive from David Arthur but has since ceased production and sold the property to vintner, Brion Wise. Bob remembers his first visit to Napa Valley in 1955, driving up from their family home in Palo Alto and arriving at Charles Krug and being impressed with the huge casks as well as the invigorating smells inside the winery. These early trips certainly influenced all of the Long brothers (Doug, Bob and David), each of whom is or was in the wine business.

David’s uncle was well traveled and had visited France a number of times. He introduced the family to French wines and their trips to Napa become more frequent until Don decided to purchase hillside land. Don and Anne originally looked at purchasing property in the vicinity of Redding but on a drive back to the San Francisco Bay area through Napa Valley Anne suggested they look for property closer to home. Her suggestion proved to be a seminal moment. Pritchard Hill in the 1950s and 1960s was little developed; it was used almost exclusively for ranching and cattle grazing and the “main” road in the area was still dirt. When the road was first paved, David assisted the laborers; he drove the steamroller. His parents met local wine making families including the Martini’s; in the 1950s there were only a handful of wineries in Napa Valley.

In what was either foresight or just plain luck, the Long family ultimately purchased over a span of about 10 years nearly 1000 acres beginning in 1956 in what is now one of Napa Valley’s most exclusive vineyard and winery neighborhoods. Prior to the family developing the property, Don and Anne used hike in from the Silverado Trail – a much shorter route to the property than the current access to the property. A four-wheel drive road still connects from Bob’s property (Montagna Estate) to the Silverado Trail.

The Wine Spectator originally referred to this part of Napa as “the Rodeo Drive of Napa Valley”. Top wineries have estates here including Brand, Bryant Family, Chappellet, Colgin, Continuum, and Ovid, among others. And in fact, the Long’s sold land to a number of these prominent nearby wineries.

During David Arthur’s early years, the focus was on producing Chardonnay; they originally planted this variety on Pritchard Hill including on neighboring land now owned by Realm Cellars (Houyi Estate). How times have changed; the reddish/rusty looking soils of this region match the colors of grapes produced by the various mostly Bordeaux red varieties growing here. The soils are this color due to their high iron content (oxidized) and also are extremely rocky. As an example of this, David’s brother Bob cleared a nearby vineyard and created rock piles some 60 feet deep covering one of the slopes near his vineyard. The native rocks often feature prominently in rock walls by some of their neighbors.

We often refer to our visits to Pritchard Hill as, ‘time on the rockpile’.

A total of 19 acres are planted to vine. In 2023, 50 acres of land not yet planted to grapevines was acquired, this was formerly land owned by David’s brother Doug. David Arthur has only employed three winemakers over the decades including arguably America’s most famous winemaker, Heidi Peterson Barrett followed by Bob Egelhoff and today, Nile Zacherle, who is as much known for his brewing mastery at Mad Fritz Brewery as he is for his wine making prowess.

Prior to producing wines, David Arthur sold grapes. They also later sold grapes to wineries such as TOR and Pine Ridge; today they no longer sell grapes from the estate. David’s wife Joye encouraged him to make wine in the early years. The first vintage of David Arthur in 1985 was made at Amizetta Winery, owned by long time family friends, the Clarks. David’s daughter Laura remembers her father traded the opportunity to make wine at Amizetta in exchange for painting the exterior of their winery.

David maintained a hectic schedule for some 30 years promoting his wines, a lifestyle similar to a “rock star”. For many years the winery owned a ‘party bus’ with David Arthur branding on the side. David was on the road for up to 4 months each year driving from city to city, from restaurant to restaurant promoting his wines – hitting restaurants, country clubs and participating in private events.

When we first visited David Arthur many years ago, we discovered some of David’s fun group tastings (with 20-30 people showing up at a time). Many of these people were friends and almost everyone had been to one of his tastings before. Food, good weather, great views and offerings of wine and spirits from folks around the country were often part of these gatherings. The party bus has obviously spent plenty of time in Texas and other mid-western states as a large number of people at these gatherings were from this part of the country. We fondly remember these tastings – casual, conversational and a place to drink excellent wines and make new friends. In regard to hospitality, these gatherings were Napa Valley at its finest and brought an immediate sense of community to visitors to the valley.

Visitors will be greeted inside the winery with a lighter style of wine to start the tasting. And weather permitting, guests will be driven up on a golf cart to one of the highest points of their property for spectacular views looking west above the valley floor and of the forested Mayacamas mountains in the distance. Tastings are of their current release wines – some of which have developed a strong following among their clients over the years as well as critical acclaim and enviable ratings by wine writers. After a visit to their vineyards guests return to the winery for often several barrel samples of yet to be bottled vintages.

We are always pleasantly surprised by how elegant the David Arthur wines are, both on the bouquet and the palate. After all, this is Pritchard Hill, a primarily west facing part of Napa Valley and the recipient of extra sunshine hours and warm to hot afternoon and evening temperatures during the growing season. As a result, wines from this region are known for their rich and opulent expressions in the bottle.

David Arthur has not tinkered with stylistic changes over the years; they remain true to their site, are crafting food friendly wines, approachable in their youth while having all the attributes needed to age for quite some time. And the focus is always on the grapes with the oak a complementary and a never dominating character. We can smell and taste heritage in these wines, and that is exceptionally special in contemporary Napa Valley.

Select Wines
Whites
Quattro Bianchi is a four white grape varietal blend. The inception for this wine came from David’s brother Bob Long who used to bottle this wine under his own brand, Montagna Estate. The early vintages of the Montagna Estate Quattro Bianchi were from grapes sourced outside of Napa Valley, and at least one vintage we tried had Greco di Tufo in the blend. David later planted the following four white varieties at Montagana Estate: Ribolla Gialla, Fiano, Arneis and Coda di Volpe – all now used for the David Arthur Quattro Bianchi. In a hillside region dominated by red grapes, this is a notable exception.

The 2022 David Arthur Quattro Bianchi is a blend of 42% Ribolla Gialla, 22% Fiano, 20% Arneis and 16% of the rare variety, Coda di Volpe. This wine is pale yellow in color; upon opening, the bouquet is initially a little shy and needs some time in the glass to fully evolve. It offers notes of citrus blossom, lime, passion fruit, green apple, freshly mowed grass, not fully ripe tropical guava and a nuance of white nectarine. And there is a minerally component with an almost saline aromatic character. We love the texture on this wine; it sports a light fleshy and almost creamy mouth feel, complemented and balanced nicely by its bright acidity. Driven by its citrus and herbal qualities, on the palate there are flavors of green apple, kiwi, honeydew melon, ruby grapefruit, pomelo and lime. The finish is zesty and mouth watering; in a blind tasting of white wines, we might pick it out as a Sauvignon Blanc from Yountville and we most certainly would never have guessed it was grown on Pritchard Hill. We would be humbled yet again by such a tasting. Pair with a pan-seared halibut fillet, lightly drizzled in olive oil, crushed pepper, salt and lemon juice. The alcohol is a refreshing 13.0%.

Reds
David Arthur ages most of their reds with extra time in the bottle prior to release. As a result, current release wines are often up to 5 years post vintage.

The 2021 David Arthur Le Boucher is a tribute to David’s father, Don whose favorite red variety was Cabernet Franc. Le Boucher translates from French into English as ‘the butcher. This wine is always led by Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon rounding out the balance. This wine is deep ruby in color; the immediately elegant and perfumy bouquet offers scents of violets, lavender, sage, a sweet tobacco spice, blueberries, plum and Persian mulberry. Brightly lit and balanced from the entry through the finish, its profile is refreshing. On the palate there are flavors of plum, currant, cherry. Lingers with a light red fruited tart brightness, juiciness, a dusty character and a lasting note of dried tobacco leaf. This wine finishes with the perfect union of texture, flavor, and acidity. The tannins are grainy with a granular but polished character and sport a moderate and lasting grip.

Very few wineries in Napa Valley produce Nebbiolo from Napa Valley grown grapes. Others beside David Arthur include Round Pond and Altamura Vineyards.

The 2021 David Arthur Vineyards Nebbiolo is pale ruby in color; the higher toned red-fruited and distinctive bouquet offers aromas of tart cherries, candied cranberries, currants, rhubarb, rose petals, clay pots (like the ones used for gardening), a hint of dried anise seeds and hiding behind all the other layers, subtleties of cinnamon stick, cardamom and clove. Like the bouquet, the palate is red fruit dominated with flavors of currant, sour cherries, cranberries and Icelandic crowberries (you might have to look that one up). Crunchy across the palate, this wine features edgy and nervous acidity, characteristics consistent regardless of the vintage. The juicy and mouthwatering finish lingers with a tartness and firmly gripping and drying tannins. Their presence far outlasts the fruit, although knowing the inherent nature of this variety being a ‘tannin bomb’ their texture is managed quite well. 13.5% alcohol. Based on its varietal heritage, one may pick out a diversity of Italian foods featuring generous helpings of fat, butter, and olive oil, but we often gravitate towards spicy Thai foods, with specific dishes often quite esoteric to the American palate. Our recommended pairing with this wine would be red curry with pork and green fresh peppercorn.

The 2019 David Arthur Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Three Acre is 100% varietal; the grapes are sourced from the same section of the vineyard each year. Originally this was three acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, just under an acre was later grafted over to Nebbiolo. This wine is deep ruby; the bouquet offers an initial note of old cedar box; while this aromatic is present, the focus is clearly on its fruit rather than any overt barrel influences. It offers additional scents of boysenberry, dark raspberry, Santa Rosa plum, and bramble. Rich, but balanced and brightly lit across the palate, it offers both red and darker fruited flavors including of currant, cranberry, red plum and red cherry. The red fruited finish is bright and mouth watering with gravelly tannins eventually outlasting the fruit. Pair this wine with a tenderloin cut of Wagyu and a BBQ.

The 2012 David Arthur Vineyards Three Acre is deep ruby in color; the elegant and inviting bouquet sports aromas of black fig, dark chocolate and dessert spices. But the fruit dominates, including ripe blackberry and boysenberry. Both red and darker fruits show on the palate including flavors of plum, complemented with a noticeable mouthwatering acidity. Balanced between acidity, fruit and texture, this wine certainly has a long life ahead. The tannins are persistent, dry and linger with an earthy character.

What are the oldest still producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines on Pritchard Hill were originally planted as Chardonnay on St. George rootstock in the late 1970s and then grafted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1980. They are growing on the slope directly across from and south of the winery. Looking at this vineyard closeup, one can see younger vines which have since been replanted but the majority of this block still dates from 1980. Considering most Napa Valley vines are replaced within 20-25 years, these vines are remarkably old. And for nostalgia sake, a couple of the original Chardonnay vines are still growing, dating from 1978.

The 2019 David Arthur Vineyards Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% varietal; this wine is deep ruby and nearly opaque. The bouquet offers a very subtle herbal hint including dried sage, dried rose petals and a note of red chili spice. Its fruit aromas include bramble, red plum, currant and raspberry. It smells alive; for reference, we tasted this wine 5 years post vintage. Energetic, vivacious and high toned, the palate offers flavors of red cherry, currant, mulberry. Superbly balanced. Mouth watering, refreshing, the palate lingers rounded tannins sporting an earthy/dusty and chalky character. Persistent.

The first vintage of what is now arguably their most well-known and sought after wine (Elevation 1147) was in 1996. This wine is named after the elevation of the vineyard that this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine is sourced from. The fruit for this wine represents the best selections from this vineyard. One of their late 90’s vintages received an amazing score from the Wine Spectator which helped put them “on the map”.

The 2019 David Arthur Vineyards Elevation Elevation 1147; this wine is deep ruby with an amaranthine rim and nearly opaque in the glass; the bouquet offers purple fruits including plum, blueberry, mulberry and blackberry with floral scents including violets, lilac and lavender. On the palate there are flavors of currant, cranberry, red cherry, raspberry, a note of dried tobacco spice and dried sage. This wine’s texture is a standout attribute featuring a noticeable and persistent density of tannins; sometimes density equates to a heavy and a course grip; we do not find that the case here. Rather they are finely polished, almost chalk-like and linger with a light dusty gravelly character broadly coating the palate. They persist in tandem on the finish; this is a fresh and youthful bottling 5 years post vintage at the time of our tasting.

The 2015 David Arthur Vineyards Elevation 1147 is dark ruby in the center of the glass with purplish tinges on the edges. Layered and complex on the bouquet, there is a noticeable floral component with aromas of violets, cigar smoke and baking spices. An elegant opulence if you will. Big but balanced, the palate features robust long last tannins with a noticeable textural weight and grip along with a light lingering note of cedar.

Meritaggio is a unique Bordeauxesque type blend but with a twist; instead of only blending Bordeaux red varietals in this wine – they blend in one Italian varietal – Sangiovese. While doing the initial blending trials for this wine, the wine making team discovered that the Sangiovese outperformed the Malbec and not tied to any blending rules like in France, they quickly decided this combination produced the most impressive wine.

Due to the resulting smoke from the Glass Fire in 2020, David Arthur produced no wines that vintage.

Dessert
David Arthur sometimes produces one-off limited production dessert wines. David originally noticed that at wine dinners, dessert would be paired with another producer’s dessert wine. He decided why not produce their own dessert wine for such occasions.

The 2023 David Arthur Vineyards Late Harvest Chenin Blanc was sourced from Alder Springs in Mendocino County and was their first ever late harvest wine of Chenin Blanc. It is medium gold in color. The bouquet is immediately expressive, offering an up-front honeyed note of warm honey, honeycomb, and sweetly fruited stone aromas of peach, apricot, baked pear, peach, pineapple, guava, and nectarine with floral notes of star jasmine. Layered, ripe and diverse aromatics. The first sip may elicit a single word as it should, ‘wow’. It is richly flavored but saddled with bright acidity to keep this wine entirely refreshing and interesting. We don’t do linear, sweet, syrupy California late harvest wines – and this wine is not that. On the palate there are flavors of apricot, peach, comise pear, lychee and mango. For reference this was a tank sample, to be bottled within a week of our tasting, but was ready to drink now. This wine ticks all the boxes for serious desert wine enthusiasts: intensely flavored, bright acidity and a super long flavor filled finish. And age worthy. Only 2 barrels were produced.

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Parking is to the side of Long Ranch Road just before the winery gate. If lucky, visitors can grab a shaded spot under one of the several oak trees that grow here. The winery and fermentation room are small; their production is not huge. For a personal tasting and tour call for an appointment; the last tastings are typically hosted at 2:30pm at the latest. Interested wine enthusiasts can sign up for their mailing list online or for their wine club. For more information, to purchase wines, or to schedule a tasting, visit: www.davidarthur.com