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Tasting Notes
Tasting Note
The 2017 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful Cabernet coming from the Rutherford appellation within the Napa Valley. Showing dark blackberry, black cherry, raspberry and red currant alongside a pretty rose petal perfume, the wine is enchanting. A classic demonstration of Rutherford Cabernet, on the palate, there is juicy red and black currant fruit with cassis, as well as exotic spice notes of anise, sandalwood and lavender, alongside more rustic notes of mushroom and forest floor, all hints from the well-integrated oak ageing and iconic terroir. The structure is big and plush, with velvety mouth-filling texture and signature Rutherford cocoa-powder tannins, finishing long with incredible depth and balance. The wine is generous, concentrated and complex, unfolding with layers of minerality and a lean core of acidity. This is a mouthwatering Cabernet sure to please any Cab lover, and is sure to age for many years to come.
Technical Information
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Blend | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Oak Treatment | 100% French oak barrels (58% new) for 19 months |
| Alcohol % | 14.5% |
| Case Production | 299 |
Winemaking
Winemaking
This small bottling of Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is a barrel selection of the most expressive lots from this highly regarded appellation. This blend was fermented separately in French oak barrels (58% new) for 19 months and blended just prior to bottling. Custom-toasted, very low impact barrels of new French oak were hand-selected, which supported the wine during maturation but did not impart excessive flavors. Keeping the lots separate throughout fermentation and aging allowed Christophe to monitor and evaluate each lot individually, coaxing each to its maximum potential and complexity.
Winemaker Christophe Paubert has always admired the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from the Rutherford appellation for its concentration and iconic “Rutherford Dust” tannin profile. Year after year the appellation is recognized for its distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley, and this 2017 vintage marks the inaugural release of this small-lot bottling. Rutherford, which is located in the heart of Napa Valley, has the perfect climate and soils that are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine captures a pure expression of Cabernet from Napa’s well-known centrally located appellation, which spans the width of the Napa Valley.
Christophe Paubert - Winemaker
For Christophe Paubert, Winemaker and General Manager at Stags’ Leap Winery, the identity of a wine is found through the terroir. Christophe’s career has spanned the industry from sales to winemaking, and his impressive background includes positions at Chateau d’Yquem and Gruaud-Larose as well as projects in Chile, Spain and Washington State. But it was the terroir of Stags’ Leap that drew him to California.
Vintage
Vintage
The 2017 vintage in the Napa Valley was smaller yielding but high in quality. The region enjoyed much needed rain during the winter months ending the drought. A short period of warmer than usual temperatures during Labor Day weekend accelerated harvest for early ripening grape varieties, resulting in an intense and, at times, unpredictable harvest. Though yields were lower than usual, the wines show exceptional flavor intensity and conditions were perfect for producing a wine with beautiful fruit as well as tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.
Vineyard
Napa Valley AVA
Vineyard
Winemaker Christophe Paubert has always admired the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from the Rutherford appellation for its concentration and iconic “Rutherford Dust” tannin profile. Year after year the appellation is recognized for its distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley, and this 2017 vintage marks the inaugural release of this small-lot bottling. Rutherford, which is located in the heart of Napa Valley, has the perfect climate and soils that are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine captures a pure expression of Cabernet from Napa’s well-known centrally located appellation, which spans the width of the Napa Valley.
The majority of the blend comes from Wildwood Vineyard on the Eastern Rutherford bench. Lying on an alluvial fan along Silverado Trail between Mumm and ZD wineries, the vineyard slopes from the road down to Conn Creek, a tributary of the Napa River. The igneous (volcanic) rock and gravel components of the alluvial soils are an important factor in shaping the wines’ aroma and flavor profiles, which make Wildwood Vineyard wines notably different. Additionally, Cabernet Sauvignon was also sourced from Star Vineyard, located on the south side of Rutherford Cross Road, as its tucked quietly behind the Rutherford Grill restaurant in the heart of the Rutherford AVA. This Iconic vineyard was planted over 60 years ago and is extremely low yielding, resulting in small concentrated berries.
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To create a better experience for you across all of our brands, we’ll check this info with accounts across the Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio of brands: Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyard, Etude, Hewitt Vineyard, Stags' Leap, Sterling, Penfolds, and The Wine Shop.
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