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Rutherford AVA
Rutherford AVA
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Rutherford AVA
Rutherford AVA
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Rutherford AVA
Rutherford AVA

Images Courtesy of Suzanne Becker Bronk


The Rutherford AVA is a centrally located Napa Valley sub-appellation on the valley floor, known for its warm abundant sunshine and cool evenings, which is well suited to wine production. Also known for its numerous historic and famous vineyards.





Appellation Details

Rutherford is located at the widest part of Napa Valley, therefore the vines enjoy the most sun of any of the valley floor appellations. This makes for phenolically ripe wines with soft tannins and dense fruit. The benchland, which has deep gravelly soils and protection from the hot sun, imbues a nobility and elegance into the mix, along with distinctively grainy tannins which some associate with the term “Rutherford Dust.” The western benchland is protected from the hot afternoon sun by the mountains of the Mayacamas; across the valley, along the eastern edge of the appellation, a complex series of hills and folds in the Vacas make for a series of unique microclimates.

Rutherford is home to some of Napa Valley’s most famous and historic wineries but it also contains some large tracts of vineyard holdings by larger farming operations. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape here but Sauvignon Blanc is also plentiful and being planted this far north makes for an especially charming and tropical wine.

Elevation:

  • 155 to 500 feet (47 to 152 m)

Soils:

  • Western benchland is composed of sedimentary, gravelly, sandy and alluvial soils
  • The eastern side has more volcanic soils and is moderately deep
  • Good water retention
  • Good soil fertility

Climate:

  • Moderately warm, but still marginally influenced by early morning fog
  • The western bench area is cooler, with less late afternoon sun, tempered by afternoon marine winds
  • Averages a bit warmer than Oakville and Stags Leap District to the south
  • Large diurnal range
  • Usual summer peak temperatures are mid-90s°F (35°C)
  • Located at Napa Valley's widest point, it has a higher radiant value than other AVAs

Rainfall:

  • Up to 38 inches (96 cm) annually

Principal Varieties:

  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Merlot



Rutherford AVA History

Georges de Latour

Georges de Latour

The Rutherford AVA is located in what was the original Rancho Caymus land grant that was awarded to early Napa Valley pioneer George C. Yount in 1836. The land grant consisted of two leagues of land bestowed by Governor Nicolas Gutierrez, with influence from Yount's friend General Mariano Vallejo. In 1864, George Yount gave a 1040 acre portion of the rancho to his granddaughter Elizabeth and her new husband Thomas Rutherford as a wedding gift and the area still bears their name to this day. While George Yount is considered the first person to plant grapevines in Napa Valley, the Rutherfords were among some of the early Napa winemakers as well, planting vineyards through the late 1880's.

In the late 1880's the root louse Phylloxera infested much of Napa County, slowing wine production in most areas to a standstill. However, grapevine planting and growing in Rutherford were not affected as much as other regions in the Napa Valley. The first person to import grapevines with Phylloxera resistant rootstock was Georges de Latour, who purchased four acres of land near Rutherford in 1900 and named it "Beaulieu" or "Beautiful Place." De Latour went on to become a prominent supplier of Phylloxera resistant rootstock to other vineyards throughout California.

In 1920 with the passing of Prohibition, many Napa Valley wineries were forced to shut down or begin producing grape juice instead. Through his close connection with the Catholic Church, Georges de Latour was able to stay in business by producing Sacramental Wine for religious ceremonies.

After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, De Latour continued to produce fine table wines for the public and gain recognition for Napa Valley as a region producing high quality wines. De Latour's Beaulieu winery and nearby Inglenook winery began to earn gold medals in international competition and in 1939 Rutherford's reputation for fine wines was established when Georges de Latour won a gold medal at the Golden Gate International Exposition for his 1936 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon.

In addition to solidifying Rutherford's status as a fine wine producing region, Georges de Latour also inspired a younger generation of many of the region's more contemporary winemakers such as Andre Tchelistcheff. During his career as a winemaker, Tchelistcheff introduced new methods of winemaking including vineyard frost protection, cold fermentation and malolactic fermentation and was the creator of the original "Georges de Latour Private Reserve" label.

Rutherford AVA was officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area in 1993 and today is home to some of Napa Valley's most historical and critically acclaimed vineyards and wineries.




Quotes

"Rutherford’s benchlands, marked by varying alluvial fans, produce rich, dense and often famous Cabernet Sauvignons. Riparian sites here, scoured over the eons by the Napa River have a broad variety of soil types and textures. These soils produce wines, including Sauvignon Blancs, characterized by remarkable elegance, complexity and understated power. "
- Kristin Belair, Honig Vineyard & Winery




Notable Wines sourced from Rutherford AVA

Sullivan Rutherford Estate
Sullivan Rutherford Estate 2021 'J.O. Sullivan Founder's Reserve Merlot' Merlot

Named in honor of James O'Neil Sullivan, a Rutherford pioneer who founded the estate and dedicated 40 years of hard work to establish a tradition of excellence in farming and viticulture. In the heart of Cabernet County, we boldly grow unparalleled Merlot. Amidst the clays and loams of the Napa Valley floor, our vineyards are generously layered with gravel and sand, a situation uniquely suited to growing formidable Merlot. Improbable and challenging, this wine begs to be seen in a light to which New World Merlots are rarely exposed.

View Winery Profile

S. R. Tonella Cellars
S. R. Tonella Cellars 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

100% Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. Farmed by hand by 4th Generation Proprietor.

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HALL
HALL 2010 'Exzellenz Sacrashe Vineyard Rutherford' Cabernet Sauvignon

Exzellenz, the official title for “ambassador” in the German language, honors our founder, Kathryn Hall, who served as the U. S. Ambassador to Austria from 1997 until 2001. This extraordinary wine represents a rare selection of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon from our Sacrashe vineyard, located in the hills above Rutherford. May it bring success, diplomacy and a bit of Napa Valley magic to the occasions you celebrate.

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Chimney Rock Winery
Chimney Rock Winery 2021 'Sauvignon Gris' White Blend

In 2002 we planted 1.6 acres of a wonderful grape which is a viticultural rarity – Sauvignon Gris -- in Rutherford. This copper-toned grape is a close relative of Sauvignon Blanc and produces wines which are extremely aromatic. It has a delicate blend of floral and tropical aromas. Usually this grape is used in our proprietary Elevage Blanc Bordeaux-style blend only. We love this grape so much we planted more of it on our Estate vineyard in Rutherford in 2017. On occasion, the quality of the fruit is so extraordinary we can’t resist bottling a little Sauvignon Gris on its own to show its individual beauty.

View Winery Profile

Rutherford Resources and References

  1. "§ 9.133 Rutherford" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved October 30, 2007.
  2. Beaulieu Garden: Our history. Beaulieu Garden | Our History. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://beaulieugarden.com/about.history.html
  3. "Bordeaux Varietal Production in Rutherford Climate". Calwineries. 2007. Retrieved October 30, 2007.
  4. Palmer, Lyman L.; Wells, Harry Laurenz (1881). History of Napa and Lake Counties, California. Slocum, Bowen & Company. ISBN 978-1363000555.
  5. Weber, Lin (1998). Old Napa Valley: The History to 1900. Wine Ventures Publishing. ISBN 9780966701401.
  6. Rutherford Dust Society – Rutherford Dust Society, EST. 1994. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.rutherforddust.org/

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