RUTHERFORD HILL | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2014
cabernet sauvignon

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Today we are going to review a very intriguing, single-varietal cabernet sauvignon wine from California‘s famous Napa Valley – Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 by Rutherford Hill Winery. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world in a wide range of climates and regions and it can produce wines with firm tannins and high acidity, wines that can mature and develop for many years in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon is also a late ripening grape variety, which means that it is best suited to warm climates, where it can result in wines that can reach into realms of perfection. This particular wine is produced by the Terlato family with grapes that were sourced from the Rutherford vineyards situated just south of the famous Stag’s Leap vineyard and has been aged for 18 months in french oak barrels. Nestled high on a hill, Rutherford Hill Winery commands a spectacular view overlooking the Napa Valley. In 1972 the Terlato family recognized a unique opportunity, they believed that the climate and soils of the Rutherford Hill were similar to those of Pomerol, therefore well suited for merlot and cabernet sauvignon, hence they were among the first to pioneer what has become Napa’s prime varietals. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-to-deep ruby
clarity: hazy garnet shades

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & noble
fruit profile: black fruits
__black fruits: black cherry | black plum | blackcurrant | blackberry | black mulberry | aronia berry
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | sweet | earthy
__spice: black pepper | nutmeg | anise
__oak: roasted oakwood | oaktree bark | liquorice | mocha | vanilla | hints of cinnamon
__sweet: dried black cherry | dried black plum | black mulberry jam | blackcurrant jam
__earthy: black soil dust & hints of truffle
__wood: new / medium roast

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: high
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: acidity & alcohol
body: round but firm | full body

//Taste
fruit profile: black fruits
fruit character: ripe & overripe
non fruit: spice & oak
finish: long
aftertaste: appealingly crisp

//Scoring
RUTHERFORD HILL | Cabernet Sauvignon | 2014
variety: cabernet sauvignon
country: USA
region: California | Napa Valley
rating: 94.0

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | age for 3-4 years
verdict: great | a must try wine

//Prediction
RP rating: 91
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This is definitely a great wine of USA and, with a total of 94.0 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is definitely one of the finest cabernet sauvignon wines we’ve tasted so far – a wine that is quite close to its prime form, thus one that needs just a bit more time in the bottle (3 to 4 years should suffice) before it will start to decline. The wine feels bold, firm and extracted, with a nuanced fruit-forward profile that is dominated by ripe & overripe black fruits in the foreground, supported by a noble layer of oaky & earthy flavours in the background. It tastes grippy and voluptuous, with crisp acidity, ripe & fine-grained tannins and a touch of alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel. The wine also displays a layer of spiciness, which leads to a very appealing and crisp finale, where the primary fruit notes are complemented nicely by those oak-infused flavours. All-in-all, this is a blueprint new-world cabernet sauvignon wine, full-bodied and complex – a wine that is mixing power with finesse.

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