Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

Aromas of blackcurrant, redcurrant, rosemary and blackberry. Full-bodied with gentle, fine tannins. Nuanced, with notes of lead pencil and blackberry coming through clearly. Steady. Drink or hold.

Juicy and youthfully coiled up, with layers of plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that will unwind in time, carried by iron and sweet bay leaf notes that add energy through the sleek finish. Best from 2023 through 2034. 567 cases made.

Aromas of blackcurrant, redcurrant, rosemary and blackberry. Full-bodied with gentle, fine tannins. Nuanced, with notes of lead pencil and blackberry coming through clearly. Steady. Drink or hold.

Another gem is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon District Collection Rutherford, a more savory, red and black-fruited 2019 that has complex notes of tobacco leaf, truffle, and loamy earth. I love its tannins, it’s medium to full-bodied, and incredibly elegant on the palate. It picks up more classic green tobacco and underbrush notes with air and is a satisfying, complete, balanced Cabernet to enjoy over the coming 15-20 years.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford is soft and understated but also offers lovely creaminess, all in a mid-weight, restrained style that is hugely appealing. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice and mint lead into the pretty, silky finish. The 2019 is a real charmer.

Well-rendered, with a focused and streamlined feel to the mix of cassis, bitter cherry, savory and sweet tobacco notes. Light tug of earth keeps it nicely grounded. Drink now through 2027. 207 cases made. — JM

Plush along the edges, but still nicely focused in feel, with cassis and plum reduction notes holding sway, while vanilla, sweet bay leaf and warm anise details fill in. Shows a late tug of warm earth on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2030. -JM

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford District Collection has a deep garnet-purple color and slips sensuously from the glass with alluring notes of baked blackberries, stewed plums and crème de cassis plus nuances of Indian spices, chocolate mint and dusty soil. Full-bodied, rich and laden with loads of black fruit preserves layers, it has a wonderfully spicy undercurrent and velvety tannins, finishing with a refreshing lift. Impressive! 248 cases were made. -Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Well-rendered, with a focused and streamlined feel to the mix of cassis, bitter cherry, savory and sweet tobacco notes. Light tug of earth keeps it nicely grounded. Drink now through 2027. 207 cases made. — JM

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford is a juicy, open-knit wine that will drink well right out of the gate. Hints of spice, leather, cedar and tobacco add lovely aromatic nuance to a core of succulent dark fruit. This is an especially forward, luscious style that works beautifully.

-- Antonio Galloni

Aged for 20 months in 53% new French oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford District Collection is deep garnet-purple colored with beautiful notes of kirsch, black and red currants, minted cherries and chocolate box with touches of cedar chest and unsmoked cigars. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with a lively line and a very long, fruity, uplifting finish. 330 cases produced.

Dark, rich and earthy, in a pleasing way, with a touch of chalkiness amid the mix of gravel, charcoal and tobacco flavors, firming on the finish. Best from 2020 through 2029. 

Jean-Charles Boisset is determined to make Raymond a player in contemporary Napa Valley wine, dedicating his team to biodynamic farming and bringing a Folies-Bergère-meets-Dalí style to the winery’s tasting rooms. Boisset purchased Raymond in 2009 and hired Stephanie Putnam, late of Far Niente, as winemaker the following year. She now produces a range of 100 percent cabernet sauvignon “District” wines like this latest Rutherford release, a blend from the original Raymond estate on Zinfandel Lane and fruit from a vineyard in the western benchlands, allowed a long fermentation without added yeast. This vintage feels cool and elegant, shot through with brightness, as if the wine’s freshness were backlighting its red fruit purity. The wine isn’t heavy or grippy, but it completely fills its structure with luscious fruit, scents of roast mushrooms and dusty tannins that give it stature and staying power.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford District Collection is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with an open-knit nose of baked plums and earth notions plus incense and dusty earth hints. Full-bodied with soft acid and plush tannins, it shows warm fruit and good length.

Boldly rich, with a hint of heat, this wine is ripe and dusty—two of the appellation’s most famous aspects. Blackberry, pepper jelly and tobacco flavors commingle, with sturdy grip of tannin and oak. 

Powerfully extracted, this needs long exposure to air before the hard edges relent, moving from mineral oil, heat and black tannins to a smoother, softer feel. The texture becomes round and lush, while the mineral notes in the tannins keep it to an elegant line.

Cherry-berry crumble topped with vanilla cream gives this wine a brambly, succulent quality, dusted in light cinnamon spice, cedar and well-integrated tannin and oak. Powerful and full-bodied, it’s fruity, balanced and enjoyable now. —V.B.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford is a powerful, intense wine. Bittersweet chocolate, iron, black cherry and plum flow through to the finish, where a kick of classic Rutherford dust puts an exclamation point on a gorgeous, expressive 2013 to drink over the next 10-15 years. - Antonio Galloni
 

This wine is a blend of fruit from two sites on the valley floor in Rutherford-- blocks 1 and 2 at the Raymond estate as well as the Heitz Trailside Vineyards between the Silverado Trail and Conn Creek. The interaction of the fruit and the French oak is impressive, to the fact that more than 90 percent of the barrels are second use-- allowing the dynamic Rutherford tannins to stand firm. The fruit is refined, in a strawberry, raspberry, cranberry mode that freshens the finish. Delicious now with roasted hen-of-the-woods mushrooms next to a steak. (500 cases)

Cellar Selection. Edgy tannins are the star in this young Cabernet. They give the wine a gritty feeling, making it hard to embrace the ripe blackberry, black cherry and currant flavors. The dryness, fine acidity and overall balance suggest this will have no trouble negotiating the next 10 years in the cellar.