Why You'll Love This Wine This is Rutherford history in a bottle. The 60-acre Hewitt Vineyard on the western Rutherford Bench has been producing legendary wine grapes since 1880—and rather than blending this fruit into a multi-vineyard wine, Hewitt lets the vineyard sing with its own voice, vintage after vintage. 93 points, James Suckling.
Tasting Notes Alluring purple hue with layers of dark berry fruit, Black Mission fig, and black plum on the nose. Lifted notes of violet, wild anise, and fresh mint mingle with macerated blackberries and bramble berry. Nuances of molasses, cola nut, graphite, and crushed earth add intrigue. On the palate, immediately generous—plush blackberry, black currant, boysenberry, and dark plum wrapped in a silky texture. Chaparral herbs add freshness while cassis, dark chocolate, and cast iron bring complexity. Full-bodied yet beautifully balanced, with fine-grained, polished tannins and that signature "Rutherford dust" character—firm cocoa-powder tannins that enhance the velvet texture through a long, mineral-rich finish.
Food Pairings
- Prime ribeye or filet mignon
- Braised short ribs
- Lamb with herbs de Provence
- Aged hard cheeses
Why It Works The current vines were planted between 1996 and 2002 in well-drained alluvial soils, budded to Cabernet Sauvignon clones 4, 7, and 8 for flavor diversity and concentration. The vineyard sits near the Mayacamas Mountains on a gentle slope—close enough to benefit from the elevation, but not shaded in the afternoon. Cold soaking extracts color and flavor gently, followed by extended maceration and malolactic fermentation in barrel to round the acidity and enrich the mouthfeel. Almost entirely Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Petit Verdot, this is single-vineyard Napa at its finest—a wine that rewards cellaring but delivers serious pleasure now with a decant.
