Jeb Dunnuck 90
More spice, tobacco, and cedar notes emerge from the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, another medium-bodied, nicely textured, balanced wine in the lineup that has loads of Cabernet character. Its drinking beautifully today, and I suspect will be best enjoyed in its first decade of life. As Napa Cabernet goes, its a smoking value." - Jeb Dunnuck, February 2020

Wine Advocate 90
The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford is composed of 88 Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 Petit Verdot, 3 Merlot and 2 Petite Sirah, aged for 16 months in French and American oak, 50 new. The nose comes bounding out of the glass with upfront scents of baked plums, chocolate-covered cherries and crme de cassis with hints of bay leaves, tobacco leaf, vanilla pod and Chinese five spice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is well-crafted, featuring plush tannins and tons of freshness to support the ripe, spicy black fruit flavors, finishing with an herbal lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW



Tasting Note
This 2017 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is a tremendous expression of its AVA terroir exhibiting intense saturation of color, aromas and flavors. The bouquet shows a dark fruit profile with blackberry, black currant and cassis notes alongside oak barrel nuances of root spice and molasses. On the palate, there are darker fruit notes supported by hints of dark chocolate, mocha and coffee. The structured Rutherford dust tannins are fine grained and very focused for this vintage, showcasing the signature fine cocoa powder texture and expansive mouthfeel. Incredible depth and balance, supported by velvety rich textured tannins, leading to a persistent lengthy finish, showing concentration and refinement.

Vintage Note
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 grapes 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 Cabernet with beautiful fruit as well as tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.