Wines - 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford

An exceptional benchland vineyard in the Rutherford appellation produces intensely concentrated grapes for this wine. Planted at the foot of a steep canyon on the western hills of Rutherford, the rocky and loamy soils were formed by eons of erosion from the mountains above. The aspect, climate, and soils combine to create a classic Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon with incredible concentration, texture, and structure.

Hand harvested in the cool early morning hours, the fruit was immediately subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, including our cutting-edge optical sorter, to eliminate less-than-perfect berries. The selected fruit was gently delivered to tank via gravity by our crane system, retaining perfect, whole berries. Cold soaks lasted approximately five days, and a combination of délestage and pump overs managed fermentations. Extended maceration, ranging from three to four weeks, fine-tuned tannin profiles, allowing us to build structure and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 77% of which were new, for twenty-one months.

The aromatic components of the 2022 Rutherford are deliciously integrated even in its youth. Loamy gravel notes, warm cassis, wild blackberry, bay laurel, and licorice root fill the palate and bouquet. Damson plum, warm mission fig, juniper, and turmeric spice decorate the long and plush finish. Precise and well-defined, this young wine struts unctuous nature with purity on the palate. – Christopher Tynan, Winemaker