The 7 Best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon From Rutherford AVA
Freemark Abbey, Heitz Cellar, Inglenook
In 1864, Napa Valley pioneer George Yount’s granddaughter Elizabeth married Thomas Rutherford, and as a gift, the man who Yountville is named after gave the newlyweds a sizeable parcel of land. Seeing as the elder Yount is widely credited as the first person to plant grape vineyards in the region, it’s no surprise his offering would resound through the wine world for years to come. Nearly a century later, Elizabeth’s married name would give rise to the Rutherford American Viticultural Area.
The Rutherford AVA, where many of the Napa’s most famed wineries reside, is situated at the widest part of the region and valley floor vineyards here are at some of the lowest altitudes in Napa. Because of this swath of wine country receives long hours of sunlight that contribute to the ripeness and the bold fruit flavors of the grapes grown here. The elevated vineyards on the west side of the appellation are shielded from the sun by the Mayacamas Mountains thus preserving acidity; while the Vaca Mountain range on the east side of the valley adds a bit of elevation as well as elegance and restraint. Here are seven of the best wines you can from Rutherford you can drink right now.
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Heitz Cellar 2018 Trailside Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Heitz Cellar Heitz Cellar has been family owned since it opened its doors in 1961 and it quickly turned itself into a legend by making Napa Valley’s first pure varietal, single-vineyard wine five years later. Heitz Cellar’s current winemaker Brittany Sherwood is carrying on the tradition of stunning selections by using only organic and biodynamic Napa Valley grapes. This fantastic wine is made from grapes grown in their Trailside Vineyard in Rutherford, it offers aromas of rolled tobacco leaf, black plum, and black cherry that transition to flavors of dried Mediterranean herbs, blackberry, cassis, and a touch of both iron and Rutherford dust in the finish.
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A.Aitch Wine Co. 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: A.Aitch Wine Co. Winemaker Ashley Hepworth has been making wine for decades. When she was younger, she was offered an internship at Chateau Angelus in Bordeaux and credits that experience with shaping her skills. She worked at Joseph Phelps vineyards for over two decades and now crafts selections under her own label. She’s a big fan of Napa Valley fruit and sources grapes for this delightful wine from a single vineyard at the base of Rutherford’s western bench. It has heady aromas of black cherry, cassis, and pencil lead with flavors of dark fruits, red plum, and just a touch of graphite in the finish.
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Castello di Amorosa Winery 2021 Manley Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Castello di Amorosa Visitors to Napa Valley sometimes need to remind themselves that they are not in Italy when approaching the beautiful 14th-century-inspired, Tuscan-style castle that houses Castello di Amorosa Winery. Fourth-generation Napa winemaker Dario Sattui built the structure as an homage to his family history, specifically his great grandfather Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant who opened a winery in San Francisco in the 1880s. Castello di Amorosa’s elegant Cab is made from grapes grown in the three-acre Manley Lane Vineyard in Rutherford. It offers aromas of dark fruits, saddle leather, and finely ground black pepper. A sturdy backbone of minerality supports flavors of dark cherry, black raspberry, and cassis.
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Copper Bear Wines 2023 Beckstoffer Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Copper Bear Jesse Giacomelli has been the winemaker at Beckstoffer Vineyards in Rutherford for years now, but Copper Bear is his personal wine project, and his production is extremely limited. Jesse earned his master’s degree at University of California at Davis, trained with Aaron Pott and Benoit Touquette, and worked harvests in Sonoma and Argentina. His Beckstoffer Georges III Cab is one of his personal favorites, and we think it’s truly spectacular. It has aromas of brown baking spice, black currant, and a touch of vanilla that transition to flavors of black plum, graphite, black raspberry, and a hint of wet slate in the finish. Only 100 cases were produced.
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Taub Family Vineyards 2019 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Taub Family Vineyards The Taub family has been in the wine business since December 6, 1933, the day after Prohibition ended. Founded by Martin Taub and passed to his son David, it wasn’t until David’s son Marc purchased a Napa Valley winery that the family fulfilled a lifelong dream to produce wine in in the region. Today the winery is under the direction of Marc and his son Jake Taub. Their Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of tobacco leaf, fennel frond, black plum, and black raspberry. Plush tannins support flavors of cocoa powder, black licorice, cassis, and the sensation of the famous Rutherford dust in the lingering finish.
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Inglenook 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Inglenook Inglenook was founded in 1879 in Rutherford by Finnish sea captain Gustave Niebaum. Over the years it was divided and sold to a variety of people and corporations, but it was filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola who purchased a portion of the estate in 1975 with the idea of restoring it to its original splendor. His 2019 Cab is a blend of 96 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 4 percent Cabernet Franc and has aromas of freshly baked bread, black cherry, and black currant. It is full bodied with flavors of anise, black raspberry, black licorice, and cocoa powder.
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Freemark Abbey 2019 Abbey Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon
Image Credit: Freemark Abbey Freemark Abbey was founded in 1886 by Josephine Tychson, one of the first female winery owners in California. Located at the very north end of Napa Valley, the winery has changed hands a few times but today it is owned by Jackson Family Wines and is under the watchful eye of Barbara Banke and her children. Grapes for this amazing red are sourced from the Bosché Vineyard in the Rutherford AVA, and the blend is composed of 93 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 7 percent Merlot. It has aromas of dark chocolate, black cherry, and blueberry. Well-polished tannins support flavors of pencil lead, black raspberry, cassis, and a touch of cocoa powder in the finish.
