The late wine titan Robert Mondavi’s Napa estate, once listed for $25m, is coming up for auction next month, along with remarkable farm and ranch properties in Montana and Kentucky. Read more in our weekly high-end real estate roundup.
The Napa Valley home of the late vinter Robert Mondavi only has two bedrooms, but offers numerous compensating features. Designed in 1979 by renowned architect Cliff May, the 11,500sf casa occupies its own mountaintop, with views of the Napa Valley, surrounding mountains, and San Francisco Bay. No vineyards grace its 56 acres, but there are two plantable acres. Among its attractions are hand-troweled artisan stucco walls, latigo and timber-beamed ceilings, and travertine marble floors. Other nice features include a 50-foot indoor pool with retractable roof, underground wine cellar, tennis courts, and a 1-bedroom cottage. Originally listed for $25m, the house will have a floor bid of $13.9m at its November 16th auction.
Those not quite as focused on the world of wine may prefer an estate in the San Jose riverfront district of Jacksonville, Florida. Originally constructed in 1942 and totally renovated and expanded in 2002, it offers 8 bedrooms and 9 baths, along with 3 half-baths. The classically designed house sits on 6.26 bulkheaded waterfront acres, and offers a 486-foot dock with covered boat lift, electricity and water. Once listed for $8.5m, the estate will come up for auction on November 4th, when it will have a starting bid of $2.495m. In this case, there’s also a buy it now price: $3.75m.
If open rural vistas are your thing, then you may be interested in the November 16th auction of the historic Anderson Circle Farm, 34 miles southwest of Lexington in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Calling the property expansive may be understatement: it consists of 5,529 acres with a rich history of farming and cattle operations. To be offered in 54 tracts, it offers tillable land, multiple historic country estates, building sites, and a “state of the art” livestock show barn. Among the more imposing residences on the property is the Walnut Hall estate of Ralph and Ruth Anderson. Constructed between 1840-1845 and renovated by the couple, the Greek Revival home is on the National Register of Historic Places.
http://www.schraderauction.com/auctions/4991
Another large property heading toward the block is Fishtrap Ranch, west of Butte, Montana. While the ranch has a 3 bedroom house, a log barn, shop and 2 one-room cabins, the real inducement is the land: 1,584 acres with views of the Pintlar, Bitterroot and Pioneer Ranges. Fronting Fishtrap Creek for just under a mile, it’s home to whitetail and mule deer, black bear, mountain lions, and grouse, and is a major migratory route for elk. Its stream is a key spawning gtound for artic grayling, and also offers populations of brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout. Numerous building sites are available on the ranch, which is adjacent to national forest land. A ‘stalking horse’ bid of $1,710,000 has been received so far for the property, which will be auctioned on November 1.
http://www.hallhall.com/auction-services/property-detail.php?id=505&cid=1
