Round Pond Pool from above

2023 Gravel Series ‘Scholar’s Gate’ Cabernet Sauvignon

This 100% Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon hails from one of our estate’s most gravel-rich blocks and is meticulously farmed. The dark, stony soils yield small, intensely flavored berries, resulting in the most structured wine in our pinnacle series.

Member Price: $225 – $250
 
Scholar’s Gate is a celebration of ambition and achievement. Traditionally, a scholar’s gate marked the threshold of accomplishment — a tribute to perseverance and the pursuit of excellence. This wine honors that spirit. It’s bold, powerful, and unapologetically intense, with layers of dark fruit, firm tannins, and the unmistakable signature of Rutherford dust. Scholar’s Gate is for those who strive, who overcome, and who leave a mark.

This wine is dedicated to our Father and his belief that through hard work, you can achieve anything.

The Gravel Series wines are the pinnacle of our portfolio. These block-designate Cabernet Sauvignons are sourced from three unique gravel microsites across our Rutherford Estate and Oakville M-Bar properties—chosen for their ability to produce wines of exceptional power, elegance, and distinction. Crafted in extremely limited quantities, these wines are available exclusively through the winery.

Accolades

"Brisk acids and beams of tannin cut through a core of red-toned fruit. Cinnamon, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and rose petal stain the palate. This potent, structured Cabernet Sauvignon ...is hugely promising." - 96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

"...it's full-bodied and plush on the palate, with a forward, ready-to-drink style that still has the depth and richness to evolve for two decades." - 96 points, Jeb Dunnuck

"Classic notes of dusty earth, black cherries and dried spices appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich and concentrated, supple and lush, with a long, silky, licorice-tinged finish." - 95 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate

Tasting Notes

The 2023 Scholar’s Gate is soft and mineral-driven, with black cherry, black plum, and bramble touched by hints of red currant and raspberry. Cocoa and coffee add depth alongside a touch of graphite, with beautifully integrated oak rounding out the profile. Big yet refined, the tannins are polished and mouthcoating, and the wine shows off signature Rutherford dust. It is playful, rich, and true to place. Drink 2027–2045

Vineyard Notes

The 2023 vintage marked the end of our three-year drought, bringing nearly 30” of rainfall that contributed to the revitalization of our soil profiles and fostering robust canopy growth. The vintage was one of the mildest in the last 10 years which provided a long hangtime, allowing full flavor development leading to very expressive flavors and aromas. As soon as the fruit set after flowering, extensive hand work began in the vineyard opening the canopy to allow for full sun exposure on the fruit. This leads to full, concentrated flavor and ensures the fruit is as expressive as possible. The 2023 vintage will be one for the ages and we feel these wines truly capture the exceptional year.

Winemaker Notes

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.

Technical Details

Type:
Red
Varietal:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:
California
Appellation:
Rutherford
Vintage:
2023
Case Production:
10 barrels