Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/113109
Taylor, ���There was never any question that the Terlatos would honor the tradition of keeping Merlot the focal point of Rutherford Hill.��� Quality over Quantity Born in the Vineyard As with all the world���s best wine producers, the story of today���s Rutherford Hill begins and ends with vineyards. Taylor describes the magnitude of the Terlatos��� viticultural commitment: ���We have a small 6-acre hillside vineyard on our winery estate, planted entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon. Much of our Merlot comes from our 60-acre Mee Lane Vineyard, on the latter part of the Rutherford Bench across Silverado Trail from the winery, which was planted in 2003. We have another 76 / the tasting panel / march 2013 Rutherford Hill 2008 Barrel Select Red, Napa Valley ($30) Amazing depth and savory length of lavor for the price. Predominantly estate-grown Merlot (77%) with a balance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Dense and meaty textured medium-full body, tightened by a solid core of tannin and leshed out by fruit tinged with complex, loral notes of red berries, peppermint, licorice and butcher shop spices, hinting at sweet paprika. Rutherford Hill 2007 Merlot, Napa Valley ($25) A contemporary-style Merlot with a length and intensity of lavor that is savory, complex and elegant rather than ���big. It has a sleek, sinewy, runway model���like proile, ��� offering a multiplicity of mocha-cherry and dried kitchen-spice perfumes. PHOTO: RANDY CAPAROSO Taylor, who started at Rutherford Hill in August 2004, tells us, ���When I got here, the winery was still in transition. The Terlatos had started a program of less reliance on purchased fruit, and more on fruit we grow ourselves. Capacity of fermentation tanks, from 2 to 20 tons, was dramatically increased, giving winemakers more lexibility and options in terms of keeping lots separate. This is like giving chefs more pots to cook with. As a result, Rutherford Hill was able to start a reserve program in 2000.��� Today Rutherford Hill���s Merlot production is closer to 20,000 cases; and even with new estate vineyards planted by the Terlatos coming online, the focus will remain on producing ive times less wine, of ive times more quality. Taylor herself came to Napa Valley with a Sonoma resum��, more accustomed to working with Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir (she was assistant winemaker at Williams Selyem prior to taking over at Rutherford Hill). ���In the beginning, working with Bordeaux varieties was something new and exciting. I grew to love it, but still remember Dave Dobson, the winemaker who preceded me, laughing whenever he saw me smelling the tanks, saying, ���it���s still not Pinot!������ 2004, of course, was also the year of the movie Sideways. Says Taylor, ���Naturally we experienced a little bit of backlash from the movie, but the fact is, people never stopped drinking Merlot. Tasting Notes 40 acres planted mostly to Merlot in Yountville, just north of the border with Oak Knoll. There is a fourth vineyard, a 50-acre site in Pope Valley, which is a little warmer, but gives us still another varietal proile to play with. ���Our Yountville Merlot gives us rich color, more tannin structure, spice and darker, black cherry qualities. Pope Valley gives more body and red fruits, with an unmistakable cherry mocha quality. We also like to blend our Merlot with a little Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, and smaller percentages of Syrah for added weight and concentration of red fruit. ���Multiple vineyards give us more complexity, and other varieties help tighten the varietal proile���that���s the beauty of blending. Put it this way: Merlot is nice enough on its own, but a little bit of blending makes it that much more interesting, like a woman���s blush and lipstick.��� What does Rutherford Hill have in store for the future? Says Taylor, ���As our vineyards mature, we will be able to showcase more estate bottlings��� smaller case lots of vineyard and appellation-speciic wines.��� Judging from our notes on their current limited production wines, the future of Rutherford Hill is very bright indeed!