Winemaker Notes
Plentiful aromas of blackberry, plum, blackcurrant, and a hint of white mocha complement the wine’s beautifully layered flavors of supple fruit and oak. Full-bodied with a rich texture and firm tannins, the wine lingers with a long, velvety finish. Hints of anise and bay leaf add complexity to the palate, further enhancing its depth and character. A Cabernet Sauvignon of this quality and depth is destined to evolve gracefully for years to come.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Notes of blackcurrants, spicy herbs, walnut and moist earth. Medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins and deep purple fruit character. Velvety and lingering.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Peju's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve spent 26 months in mostly new French and American oak, and the wine reflects that, with rounded, supple tannins and almost sweet-smelling notes of cinnamon streusel and caramel added to the ripe black cherry fruit. I wouldn't suggest holding it for decades in the cellar, but this medium to full-bodied wine is a lush, approachable Cabernet for drinking over the next several years.
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.