“Cabernets need a touch of that Rutherford dust.” (Andre Tchelistcheff, legendary winemaker of Beaulieu Vineyards).
The celebrated vignerons of this appellation deeply respect and pay homage to the unique terroir here, which they refer to as "the "dust". Rutherford’s soils are primarily gravel, sand and loam, and are dominated by volcanic deposits and Franciscan marine sediment. They provide excellent water drainage and ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon. However, to these vignerons the "dust" means much more than dirt. It is the combination of earth, special climate, meticulous fruit-focused winemaking and unrelenting patience that produces world-class wines. The historic wineries of Inglenook and Beaulieu, as well as dozens of new houses, have proven that this six-square-mile plot of vines, halfway up the Napa Valley, rivals the best appellations of the Old World.
|
|
Current Feature
In the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Georgia vineyards are small and few, yet the establishment of the Upper Hiwassee Highlands could bring much more.
[>] continue
Appellation Features
[>] see all Rutherford ~ Napa Valley features (10)
Related Features
Best of Appellation
See the best wines of
Rutherford ~ Napa Valley
Alive & Well here
Sauvignon Blanc:
You are one sexy gal, Sauvignon Blanc, trotting joyously through fields of grass, with your long,
[>] continue
Correspondent
Alan Goldfarb
is the Regional Correspondent for Rutherford ~ Napa Valley.