How much would you expect to pay for a Cabernet from Napa Valley’s revered Rutherford AVA?  Iconic producers Quintessa, BV and Scarecrow all set a precedence for quality in Rutherford.  I recently checked the average retail price of the nearly 3 dozen 2015 vintage Rutherford Cabernets listed in the Wine Spectator and they averaged over $140/btl…  This is a real barometer to the quality of this appellation, and if you’ve followed my emails for a while, you know that one of my favorite Rutherford producers is Foley Johnson.  Their name is synonymous with great value, and even at the winery retail price of $75 it’s a terrific find.  At $39.99/btl, it competes favorably with the best in the Valley.  As a testament to the quality of Foley Johnson’s 2015 Rutherford Cabernet, the winery auctioned 10 cases of 2015 Rutherford Cabernet at the 2018 Premiere Napa Valley Auction and it went for $1800 per case… 

 

Arising from Rutherford, an area long celebrated for its exceptional terroir and dusty tannins, and as conveyed by Andre Tchelistcheff, legendary winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards, “Cabernets need a touch of that Rutherford dust.” This exemplary 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon shines with all of the hallmarks that I love most about Rutherford.  It’s brimming with bright, focused red fruits, crushed violets, graphite, chocolate covered raspberries and of course, beautiful Rutherford dust.