07.23.2014  
 

Chinese-owned firm buys Quixote

Napa, Calif.—Carl Doumani has sold his Quixote winery, vineyard and home in the Stags Leap District to a subsidiary of Le Melange, an American company owned by a Chinese firm. Doumani said he sold for close to his asking price of about $29.5 million for the 42-acre parcel with 29 acres of vines. He kept a nearby parcel of 2 acres, and intends to move into a house there and tend the Petite Sirah vines planted on that property.

Jinta, the subsidiary Le Melange that bought Quixote, bought Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery in Brentwood, Calif., in Contra Costa County in 2013. Hannah Nicole produces a number of wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Zinfandel.

Doumani said he understands that the new owners would retain the winemaking team, headed by Aaron Pott and vineyard manager Micheal Wolf, and continue direct sales at the winery.

The sale is the latest in a string of recent deals involving Asian personalities and companies. They include Sloan Estates sold for a reported $40 million, Dana Estates, Kenzo Estate and Bialla winery as well as Vietnamese-American Kieu Hoang’s recent acquisition of Michael Mondavi family’s Folio winery facility and adjoining vineyard in Carneros. Kieu Hoang has also opened escrow on John and Shawn Guilliams’ 7-acre vineyard in the Spring Mountain AVA.

As for Doumani, at 81 he said he doesn’t feel any need to predict his next steps beyond producing a small amount of Petite Sirah wine under the Encandato label. He used that label for a tequila brand he developed with the late Pamela Hunter.
 

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