Situated in the heart of Napa Valley, Sullivan Rutherford Estate spans 26 acres of vineyards and lush gardens. The Estate was founded in 1972 by James ("Jim") O’Neil Sullivan, a visionary and pioneer of Rutherford, a premier Napa Valley appellation for Cabernet Sauvignon.. Today, the Estate continues to build on its legacy of growing and crafting world class Cabernet Sauvignon. Under new ownership in 2018, the team is deeply investing in its vineyard programs and plans are underway to build a state-of-the-art winery.

The Sullivan Coeur de Vigne captures the essence of the vineyard and combines a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with 22% Merlot and 3% Malbec. The wine was kept for 19 months in oak. In the glass, the color is deep garnet right to the edges. Right away out of the glass you get an aroma of classic Rutherford dust along with layers of blackberry, plum, a pleasant earthiness and a hint of cedar and tobacco. The palate is rich and concentrated, showing youthful fruit, acidity, and gripping tannins that soften as you allow the wine to aerate. The next day the wine was more approachable, balanced, with silkier tannins. The complexity of this impressively made wine continues through to the end with notes of pepper, spice and just enough acidity that leads to a lengthy finish. The Sullivan Coeur de Vigne Cabernet Sauvignon is built to age for many years. With patience, the wine will deliver the character of a top notch made Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

By Perry Miroballi