This one is tough. If I could leave 3.5 I would, but the overall experience pushes it to 4 in my…read morebook.
My friend and I wanted to stay here but it was outrageously expensive. Something like $1500/night USD. But we still wanted the experience so we were offered a day pass essentially for $300 US each. This included a one hour guided horseback ride around the property, a three course lunch with two glasses of wine, a wine tour and tasting, and access to the spa and pool, which had breathtaking views.
We were told to arrive at 9:45 and that our hotel was only about 30-45 minutes to the vineyard. This ended up being a gross understatement. It took us one hour and ten minutes so we didn't arrive until about 10:15. Since the first wine tour went off at 10, we audibled at the direction of the vineyard and took the horses out at 11, got back at 12, hung out by the pool until we decided to have lunch at 2, followed by the last wine tour at 4. I was somewhat immediately annoyed that we weren't offered anything to drink upon arrival. For $300/person, I expected a welcome glass of champagne or sparkling wine, or at the very least water. But we got nothing.
The horseback ride was a very cool first experience for me. The property is stunning. The views are out of this world. The staff is very nice, and our wine tasting guide, Claudio, is very knowledgeable and speaks incredible English (he's a former English teacher).
What left me with a bad taste in my mouth was the tasting itself. Vik only sells blends, but their flagship blend was less than desirable, especially at a price point of $125 US. And all six of us at the table agreed. The one wine we loved - the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, which my friend compared to Caymus - was not for sale. Earlier at lunch, we also had one of the best Sauvignon Blancs I've ever had, which also was not for sale.
If you're willing to cough up the dough to spend a day here or stay as a guest you'll definitely enjoy yourself but you'll likely leave wondering whether it was worth it.
