Like Fine Wine
Row upon row of twisting grapevines grow along the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range, interrupted only by towering stands of evergreen forest and views of the rolling Northern California hills beyond.
The owners of a slice of this heaven in Napa Valley wine country, Lord Perry and Lady Carolyn “CJ” Butler, fell in love with their land at first sight, making the decision to purchase it the day they saw it.
“Everything about it — the universe was telling me, this is where you should live,” Ms. Butler says of the picturesque setting.
The pair have not looked back, building a home and spending the over two decades since cultivating grapes there for their critically acclaimed wines at Juslyn Vineyards.
1. The Butlers had their 12,000-square-foot, Tuscan-style home custom built with no detail overlooked
2. Curling vines are a feature all around the property, where wine grapes grow for the Butlers’ business, Juslyn Vineyards
3. Quintessential Northern California mountain-and-valley views are right outside the window
All images throughout courtesy of Vanguard Properties
4. The 70-foot-long swimming pool is perfect for many uses, from exercise to relaxation to entertaining a huge crowd
5. The first floor of the main residence is warm and serene, with travertine floor tile and vaulted ceilings
6. Grapevines for Juslyn Vineyards are planted on both parcels of land, part of the Spring Mountain AVA
7. The home is filled with spaces perfectly suited to hosting groups both large and small
WHERE THE HEART IS
Not to be outshone, the Butler’s custom built, Tuscan-style estate holds court among the vines. The 12,000-square-foot residence features vaulted ceilings, travertine tile floors, multiple fireplaces, a chef’s kitchen and, of course, a 5,000-bottle wine cellar. Outside, there is a massive swimming pool and spa, gardens, fountains and several entertaining areas with unbeatable views.
The couple has staged many an event, including fundraisers for favorite charities, from sit-down dinners for 40 to hosting 250 people around the pool.
The Butlers have achieved a lot since relocating to St. Helena full time, and giving back has always been a big part of that. Juslyn has even produced special wines to raise money for rescued elephants in Thailand.
“To be able to get to the top of the food chain with our wine, and the fact that the winery has been able to help charities, it makes me happy, and I feel that we’ve done what we set out to do in the beginning,” Mr. Butler says.
So the couple has decided to retire and pass their vineyard on. Their two parcels of land — one with the home and 1.81 acres of planted vines, the other with the business and four acres of vines — can be purchased separately or together, just waiting once more to fulfill another’s Napa Valley dreams.
Soon someone new will be repeating Ms. Butler saying, “Wow, I can’t believe I live here.”
AGED TO PERFECTION
It is impossible not to feel the same way as the Butlers do about their breathtakingly beautiful locale nearby the quaint downtown St. Helena in the Spring Mountain District AVA (American Viticultural Area), which is currently home to 24 vineyards.
“Spring Mountain is just amazing,” Mr. Butler says. “I love it in the mornings. You wake up and go outside, and you look down in the valley and it’s just full of blooms. It’s a beautiful sight.”
The Butlers are in good company — their land has hosted centuries of Napa Valley history, and they often find Hopi Native American relics, such as arrowheads and tools, in their earth. The Hopi also used to dig for cinnabar, a mineral they used to make red pigment, there.
Grapes were first planted on their mountainside in the 1860s as part of the dowry for the wife of Charles Krug, a Napa Valley wine pioneer and founder of the eponymous Charles Krug Winery. It is still in operation, the oldest in the area, but the Butlers’ land fell into disuse in the early 20th century, waiting for them to arrive.
Location: ST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA, USA
Price: $16,500,000 PER PARCEL; $33,000,000 COMBINED
luxuryportfolio.com WEB ID: UPTW AND TQTG
LOCALLY GROWN
The British expats came to California in the 1980s, with “a suitcase each and nowhere to live,” Mr. Butler says. Working in the Bay-area tech industry and building their own company to a global operation with 400-plus employees, they bought a weekend home in the valley with a small plot of grapevines to escape their long work hours.
Eventually, “Carolyn just said, ‘I think we’re done. I think we need to sell,’” Mr. Butler says of the company. “So, we did. And I said, ‘Well, why don’t we go into the wine business?’ We just did it.”
Juslyn Vineyards, named for Carolyn and their daughter, Justine, was founded in 1998. Starting from scratch was not easy and took a year of planting — and some dynamite — to make it happen. But the spread was prime for vines.
“We get this exceptional southeast exposure, and the terroir of the land is something that you can only really dream about, because it’s so good,” Mr. Butler says.
All of the hard work paid off. From the first harvest in 2000, Juslyn now produces 700–800 cases per vintage of its two signature wines, Cabernet Sauvignon and Perry’s Blend — Cabernet Sauvignon along with some Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all grown onsite.
Twenty-three vintages of the celebrated brand have received scores of 91–98 out of 100 from noted wine critic Robert Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, a coveted and major achievement.