“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravel Series Scholar's Gate is superb. Rich and explosive, with tons of character, the 2021 hits the palate with an exotic mix of black cherry, graphite, crushed rock, incense, new leather, licorice, scorched earth and a kiss of French oak. This potent, brooding Rutherford Cabernet hits all the right notes. It's a gorgeous wine in the making, and my favorite of the three wines in the Gravel Series." - 96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“From a different portion of the estate's Rutherford vineyard ... the wine is more blueberries and cassis, a ripe, creamy carnival of fruit backed by licorice and dusty earth. It's full-bodied, broad and expansive without seeming overdone, with a lingering, spice-tinged finish and softly dusty tannins." - 96 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
A true expression of Rutherford Dust, this powerful wine is teeming with effusive notes of blackberry, black plum, chocolate, and a touch of rose petal. Elegant and full-bodied, this wine offers notes of black cherry, mulberry, and black currant on the palate with allspice and a hint of sweet oak. Fine-grained tannins lead to a long, lingering finish with a silky mouthfeel. This wine is cellar-worthy and will age gracefully for another 15-20 years.
The northeastern section of our Rutherford property, the Red Barn Vineyard, features a gravel streak meandering through three blocks. In these microsites, less water is retained during the growing season, creating stress in the vine. This “hydro-stress” starts very early in the spring, forcing the vine to focus on ripening the fruit, not on the vine growth itself. Meticulously farmed and delivering lower yields of tiny berries, these blocks produce beautifully concentrated flavors, rich aromatics, and ripe tannins.
The 2021 vintage was marked by a second season of drought. The temperatures remained relatively mild, but the dry conditions resulted in smaller, more concentrated grapes with lighter yields and one of the earliest harvest windows to date. Our Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varieties are planted on loose, alluvial soils derived from the volcanic Vaca Mountains, and our “California sprawl” trellis systems provide excellent vine balance and diverse sun exposures.
This dish is a showstopper from the Estate kitchen — a signature from our Il Pranzo menu and one of Chef Fernando’s go-to recipes when rich, savory comfort meets refined flavor. The combination of tender ribeye, sweet-spiced cauliflower, and silky parsnip purée is a masterclass in balance, with our signature Bordelaise tying it all together.…
