Poetry Inn of Napa Valley Welcomes Its New Ownership

Cliff Lede has transferred ownership of the high-end Stags Leap hotel to Juan Pablo Torres-Padilla, who is the proprietor of Loco Tequila and Sullivan Rutherford Estate winery.

A prestigious hotel in Napa Valley is transitioning from one vintner owner to another. Juan Pablo Torres-Padilla, the steward of Sullivan Rutherford Estate and CEO of PA Capital Management, has acquired the Poetry Inn located in the Stags Leap District from the Lede family of Cliff Lede Vineyards, according to Wine Spectator. The terms of the sale remain confidential.

Torres-Padilla expressed to Wine Spectator, “As a family group, we aim to manifest our enthusiasm for comprehensive hospitality, authentic service, and the utmost dedication.” Growing up in Mexico and spending his young adulthood in France has infused him with these values. “European hospitality focuses on precise execution,” he remarked, “while Hispanic hospitality centers on delighting guests.” His ambition is to enhance the Poetry Inn by integrating these approaches.

Positioned on the elevated eastern slopes of the Stags Leap District, the Poetry Inn is accessed by a steep drive cutting through Cliff Lede’s Poetry Vineyard below. Crafted by architect Howard Backen, this boutique echelon five-room inn features amenities like wood-burning fireplaces, expansive soaking tubs, and individual terraces with outdoor showers in every room, all boasting west-oriented views that span across Stags Leap and Yountville to the Mayacamas Mountains.

The property was an old B&B when Lede acquired it in 2003 and started its transformation. “We aimed to make it feel like coming home,” Lede commented on the inn’s redesign.

He is selling because he wishes to dedicate himself entirely to Cliff Lede Vineyards. “Our core enthusiasm has always been winemaking, cultivating grapes and presenting our celebrated wines,” he explained. Cliff Lede Vineyards will keep the Poetry Vineyard and continue to use its grapes for its Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Poetry.

Torres-Padilla entered the Napa Valley scene in 2018 when he bought Sullivan Rutherford Estate. His PA Capital management group, a family enterprise, produces Loco Tequila, a blue agave spirit introduced in the U.S. in 2023. Established by Torres-Padilla in 2012, Loco Tequila acquired the agave estate and distillery Hacienda La Providencia in 2018. Located in El Arenal, Jalisco, Loco controls 200 acres of blue agave and processes its tequila in the historic 200-year-old hacienda, which is currently being updated to include guest services and lodging.

After evaluating 20 other wineries in Napa, Torres-Padilla seized the chance to buy Sullivan Rutherford in 2018. The winery includes 26 acres in Rutherford, with 22 acres planted with vines. In the subsequent years, Torres-Padilla expanded by acquiring 9 acres on Soda Canyon Road in Napa Valley AVA in 2020, and another 9-acre tract in St. Helena on Crystal Springs Road in 2021. Presently, Sullivan Rutherford produces approximately 5,000 cases of wine each year.

Poetry Inn will continue to operate during this period of change, retaining its current employees. “[We] are not rushing to introduce new changes,” mentioned Torres-Padilla regarding the hotel. While there are plans to eventually rename the hotel and integrate Sullivan wine tasting sessions, significant changes are not immediately planned. Torres-Padilla expresses a commitment to honoring the history, similar to the respect shown to Sullivan’s 50-year heritage.

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