Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

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)

Leaning toward the herb and dill side of Cabernet, this is lean and rim, with crushed rock, currant, cedar and tobacco leaf elements. The leanest of the new Raymond District Cabernets.

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.