Winemaker Notes
The jewel of the Sullivan property, "James O'Neil" is our Reserve wine program and namesake of our estate's founder, James O'Neil Sullivan. This Cabernet Sauvignon's density and structure will carry it for decades, yet its suppleness and softness invites you to enjoy it now. Blackberry and cherry paired with minerality and Rutherford's earthy character jump from the glass. Big and powerful on the palate, the wine has a sense of luxury all the way around.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon James O'Neil sports a deep purple-black color and nose of cassis, crushed black berries and cedar chest with hints of dried mint, forest floor, Indian spices and cloves. The full-bodied palate is taut and muscular with firm, grainy tannins and tightly coiled youthful black fruits, finishing long and spicy. Forget it in your cellar for 3-4 years and drink it over the next 18+.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2015 Sullivan James O'Neil Cabernet Sauvignon is an outstanding wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and persistent. Its attractive aromas and flavors of ripe black fruit, anise, and shading of oak expand nicely on the palate. Pair its vibrant presence with a juicy, grilled Porterhouse and a dollop of Roquefort. (Tasted: March 6, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
More creme de cassis, graphite, tobacco, and floral notes emerge from the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon James O'Neil. It’s full-bodied, has building tannins, and delivers a tight yet promising style on the palate. This has closed down slightly since I tasted it on release and will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age. Rating: 93+
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James Suckling
Very intense aromas of blackberry and blueberry with hints of spice and dried violets. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish.
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.