David Arthur Propietary Red 2018

After nearly forty years of farming grapes on their Pritchard Hill Estate, David Arthur launched the 'Next Generation' of DAV with the 2016 vintage. This 2018 blend is even better than the last one we tasted, and is a stunning value among luxury Napa wines with rich, round, mouth-filling flavors, structure and dense mountain tannins. Black cherry, cassis, anise and spices abound. This Bordeaux-style blend weaves together the rich, concentrated elegance and power of mountain-grown Bordeaux varietals as well as the best of surrounding vineyards within the Napa Valley. The wine is aged an average of 20 months in French oak barrels, blended with meticulous care and bottled at the David Arthur vineyard estate. The result is a complex array of aromas and flavors that deliver plush, mouth-filling structure with soft, elegant tannins.  

The origins of David Arthur Vineyards and the Long Family Ranch date back to when the Long family started visiting the Napa Valley in the 1950’s. Don Long, a butcher by trade owned a small grocery store in Portola Valley, near Stanford University and had long been interested in the California wine country. With a keen eye for business opportunities, Don began steadily investing in Napa Valley real estate leading to the acquisition of nearly 1,000 acres atop Pritchard Hill in St. Helena, California. Don’s youngest son, David Arthur, founded the winery with his then wife, Joye Dale, in 1985 with the purchase of 30 French oak barrels. David and Joye’s daughter, Laura Long, now works side by side with her father running the day-to-day operations of the winery and vineyards.