Winemaker Notes
We started with our namesake more than a decade ago when we harvested our first vintage in 2004. Having a great reverence for the first growths and other amazing wines of Bordeaux, we aspired to someday be recognized along side these renowned offerings. The intention has always been to find that magical tension between flavor, depth, balance and structure. With very limited production, we practice focused micro farming techniques, and age the wines for 30 months in new barrels from the famed Darjanou & Tarransaud cooperages. This helps us achieve the flavor, complexity, and age worthy juice we desire. We have been fortunate in the tremendous ovations our namesake wine has received, and in turn, the demand it has generated.
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
On their wedding day more than twelve years ago, he married the love of his life and, sharing his passion, she made him promise that he would someday pursue his dream of making wine. Her love, support and wisdom gave Stephen balance and allowed him to realize what was important in life. It was these very gifts that catalyzed his journey.
Together they are blessed to have created a beautiful life, cherishing each other, their two girls, loving family, wonderful friends and careers that have reaped great success and rewards.
When he was working in the entertainment industry he realized that he had been caught up in a work induced "race to nowhere". His spirit was depleted. It was Jen that helped him understand what was real, that there was more out there, more fulfillment to have, more impact to make, more life to live. In working to help restore balance in his life, she has taught him to remain passionate about the things that are truly meaningful; Family, Friends, and of course, wine.
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.
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.