Winemaker Notes
The depth of color is striking. The dark brooding color at the core extends all the way to the rim, a sign of concentration, which also indicates quality. A tinge of purple indicates youth and the high viscosity a certain world power, ready to be unleashed.
The nose is more intense than the 2017, riper, denser, with the classic ripe fruit of Napa Valley. Yet there is much more, an individuality and character of a single site. Indeed it comes from a tiny slice of a thoroughbred vineyards. Rutherford, the original home to the finest Napa wines. The Trailside vineyard no less. One of the most historic and classic vineyards in Napa.
Layers of tightly-wound blackcurrant and blueberry invite the nose, a cedar character with black olive, mocha and vanilla complement. What intrigues is the elusive and fleeting notes that waft in and out, ever-changing, mysterious and hard to describe, as is the case with all fine wines. Sweet spices, violets, gravel,
grilled meat, tobacco, they seem to say catch me if you can.
The palate is the star. Aaron Pott, one of the top Winemakers in Napa, crafts wines that are inspired by his time in St. Émilion where he managed a storied chateau, Troplong-Mondot. The dryness is so critical to us as we both abhor fruit-bombs. Nice and dry please, yet full-bodied, laden with ripe black fruits, a subtle
toast and smoke from the barrels, and then the flavors unravel. Encased in ultra-fine dusty tannins, the concentration of black berry fruits and minerals is unmistakable — and simply gorgeous.
As with the 2017 vintage, it is the operatic finish that is the hallmark. It just lingers and lingers, dances and sings, evolves and disappears only to re-emerge minutes later as a reminder that this wine is something special. It is a labor of love by two wine passionistas who took 10 rows of a historic vineyard in Rutherford and crafted their ultimate dream.
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.