Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Lastly, the iconic site of George III has produced the deep ruby/purple 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard from Rutherford. Loads of earth crème de cassis, licorice and spice characterize this rich, full-bodied wine, which emanates from what is obviously one of the great terroirs of Napa Valley. This is a beauty of purity, richness, and stunning ripeness. Accessible now, it should hit its prime in 3-4 years and last for 25 years
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Wine Enthusiast
There's an abundance of length and grace at the heart of this otherwise powerfully rich and rewarding wine, 100% varietal and aged in 75% new French oak. Classic notes of red currant and burly, polished tannin find balance in soft acidity and a silkiness on the palate. Drink now through 2023.
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James Suckling
Plenty of blackberry, tar and blueberry aromas. Full body, very balanced and refined tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Shows reserve and focus. Better in 2018.
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.