Cyd Greer
Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley
Price: $35,000,000
Location: 2181 N 3rd Avenue, Napa, CA 94558
The picturesque Napa Valley is located in California, approximately 50 miles northeast of San Francisco and 70 miles from Sacramento. Napa Valley is home to nearly 500 wineries, spread out through the adjoining towns of American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, St. Helena, and Yountville. It also possesses a large fine arts community that boasts all types of musical and theater performances, and exceptional public exhibitions/outlets. Crowning all this beauty and culture is one of the finest estates in the region, 2181 N 3rd Avenue.
This landmark property was designed by architectural firm Cutler Anderson and built by Tanglefoot Construction in 2004 on 34.24 acres. The main house has four bedrooms in east and west wings, a studio, and a three-bedroom guest house comprising approximately 13,250 total square feet of space.
This estate is one-of-a-kind, and it will be the most expensive property ever sold in the Napa Valley.
The home aesthetically mirrors its surroundings in materials and structure. Upon passing the entry gate, you enter a two-story foyer. Rammed earth walls, made with indigenous California soils, create artistic, undulating patterns. This foyer opens to formal living and dining rooms with a two-sided gas fireplace and French doors to the grounds and dining terrace.
“Every aspect of this home was designed to create warm and inviting spaces that thoughtfully feature the natural elements in which they are located,” said Coldwell Banker listing agent Cyd Greer.
The family and informal dining areas of the 11,600 square-foot home flow into a centralized, highly functional and artistic kitchen. Features include GeoCrete decorative-inlay countertops, edge-grain carbonized bamboo cabinets and paneling, and appliances from Sub-Zero, Gaggenau, and Miele.
The second floor quarters include a primary suite with built-in beech cabinetry, a fireplace, a sitting room, and a spa-inspired bathroom with a soaking tub. Residents can take in sweeping views of the Napa landscape from both the primary and the east wing guest bedroom suites, each possessing a private balcony.
Below the ground level, a canted entryway made of mortarless stacked stone leads to the home’s own wine cellar. The entryway, thoughtfully built by a master stonecutter, was designed to resemble a passageway that may be found at an archaeological site. A nine-person theater adjoins a de rigueur 1,250-bottle wine room with glowing rammed-earth walls, taking advantage of the surrounding natural elements. The wine cellar stores wines at an ideal temperature, and is accompanied by a tasting room with a fireplace.
In the west wing, you’ll find a private guest apartment with a bedroom possessing a full bath and a study with a kitchenette and patio. After a workout in the spacious gym and yoga studio, the gallery hall leads to a swimming pool and spa for cooling off and relaxing.
Entertaining is amplified by the guest house, which can be accessed from the west wing via a 130-foot cedar boardwalk. It features three bedrooms, two full and one half bathrooms, a great room, kitchen and deck overlooking a heated plunge pool and the expansive grounds, vineyard and Napa environment.
“The home was perfectly positioned to take advantage of the vistas of the meadow, forest, and expansive vineyards on the property,” noted Greer.
The home has many exceptional natural amenities such as wood paneling and floors, and expanses of wood-framed floor-to-ceiling windows. Ceiling heights reach up to 40 feet, secured by Douglas fir beams. The windows really frame the awe-inspiring views, connecting the inside to the outside.
Every piece of wood was put into place on-site when building the house using Douglas fir, beech, and cherry to provide subtle differences of color and nuance. The wood hues and textures are subdued, yet give the estate a feeling of substance that blends beautifully with the surroundings.
Another exquisite touch are the distinctive inverted rooflines built to resemble wings. They direct rainwater to cascade into two-story waterfalls that converge in a koi pond.
An especially attractive asset of the property are the premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot grape vines situated on 22.58 acres. The Meteor Vineyard is overseen by viticulturist Mike Wolf, and is distinguished by its ultra-premium grapes, which are sold to high-end wineries. A number of affluent labels use these unique and high-quality grapes for vineyard-designated wines.
Added to the vineyard, the property boasts a vegetable garden, fruit orchard, native shrubs surrounding the protected meadows, and a magnificent 500-year-old valley oak tree.
“It is rare to find a home of this caliber,” said Greer. “It is even more rare that it comes with an ultra-premium vineyard in the heart of Napa Valley.”
2181 N 3rd Avenue personifies all the grandeur the Napa Valley has to offer, and is currently listed for $35,000,000.
Written by Breck Hapner
To find out more, or to make an appointment to experience this fantastic property, please contact Cyd Greer at 707-322-6825, or cgreer@cbnapavalley.com
