Terlato Family Vineyards Rutherford Reflection Cabernet (Premiere Napa Auction) 2010
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2012 Auction Lot #181: Only 5 cases produced
"Winemaking begins in the vineyard" is much more than a slogan for Terlato Family Vineyards. Outstanding vineyard sites that we farm under strict sustainable and progressive practices are at the heart of the superb wines we produce. The Terlato Family and winemaker Doug Fletcher offer a notable bottling of Napa Valley's quintessential wine, Cabernet Sauvignon. Among our portfolio of Napa Valley vineyard sites is a hillside location in Rutherford. This west-facing hill provided the grapes for this fabulous 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. We named this wine Rutherford Reflection in celebration of the Rutherford vineyard that gave us this powerful yet graceful Cabernet Sauvignon.
For years, Anthony J. Terlato was known for importing wines of quality and distinction to the US Market. During a visit to Italy in 1979, Terlato found himself in a restaurant tasting a selection of wines the US had not yet seen. His most important find: a varietal called Pinot Grigio. From there, a legacy was born. Forty years later, the Terlato Family set out to continue their passion for Pinot Grigio and find the pinnacle of production to share with the U.S. In 2014, Bill Terlato wanted to find a new Pinot Grigio for the portfolio that would be even more elevated in taste and quality - unlike any other Pinot Grigio in the market that boasted more complexity and minerality. The ultimate quality was found in the hills of Friuli, with a partnership between the Capaldo Family and Sirch Families. It was with this combined partnership and discovery of Friuli that the Terlato family knew they could continue to tell their luxury story and continue to evolve Pinot Grigio. With over four decades of experience importing, marketing & sharing luxury wine with American consumers, a new era of Pinot Grigio was born. Terlato Vineyards continues to promote luxury Pinot Grigio that highlights a sense of place and delivers the ultimate quality. In 2018, a new package was introduced and in 2019, a partnership with Riedel was formed to develop a Pinot Grigio-specific glass to enhance the Terlato experience.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
The Rutherford sub-region of Napa Valley centers on the town of Rutherford and covers some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyard real estate, spanning from the Mayacamas in the west, to the Vaca Mountains on the other side of the valley.
Inside of the Rutherford AVA, bordering the Mayacamas, is a stretch of uplands called the Rutherford Bench. (These bench lands technically run the length of Oakville as well). Mountain runoff creates deep, well-drained, alluvial soils on the bench, giving vine roots plenty of reason to permeate deep into the ground. The result is wine with great structure and complexity.
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvingons and Bordeaux Blends garner substantial attention for their enticing fragrances of dusty earth and dried herbs, broad and juicy mid-palates and lush and fine-grained tannins. The sub-appellation claims some of the valley’s most prized vineyards today, namely Caymus, Rubicon and Beckstoffer Georges III.
It is also home to Napa’s most influential and historic personalities. Thomas Rutherford, responsible for the appellation's name, made serious investments here in grape growing and wine production between the years of 1850 to 1880. Gustave Niebaum purchased a large swath of land and completed his winery in 1887, calling it “Inglenook.” Today this remains the oldest bonded winery in California. Georges Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyard in 1900, making it the oldest continuous winery in the state. Latour also hired the famous enologist, André Tchelistcheff, a man credited for single-handedly defining the modern Napa winemaking style.