2014 Chad Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford Napa Valley 750 ml

Chad Hits Cabernet Paydirt in Rutherford

In the phenomenal 2014 vintage, the crème de la crème of Rutherford turned out some of the richest and most opulent estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons of our lifetimes, wines of incredible density, structure, and complexity. But despite the superb quality, when one of Rutherford’s superstars brought in more Cabernet Sauvignon than they could use, they called Chad. Fully aware that the iconic Rutherford winery's own 2014 Cabernets sell for north of $100, with Robert Parker ratings between 92-96 points, Chad jumped at the opportunity to lock in their excess Cabernet Sauvignon—“my white whale,” he calls it. We are able to offer the 2014 Chad Cabernet Rutherford Reserve at just $27.99 per bottle on cases. Packed with decadent black raspberry and blackberry fruit, interwoven with violets, graphite, and stony minerality, it is a wine that will impress whatever the occasion.

At the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company, Chad shared with us the conditions that helped him land his “white whale”—fruit from the best vineyards to be found in Rutherford and Oakville.

He spoke of his success with some of Napa’s greatest wineries, including elite producers on Howell Mountain and Pritchard Hill and in Stags Leap. But even at the depths of the Great Recession, wineries with names like Caymus, PlumpJack, Rubicon, and Opus One suffered only minor setbacks. “It was like the recession never happened,” Chad told us, sipping a cappuccino. “So what? They sold out in three months instead of two!”

But even when the high-end market recovered, these elite wineries had grown accustomed to Chad’s calls, and though most easily sold out their 2013s—a harvest already famous for quality and quantity—they kept in touch.

Then, 2014 brought more of the same—on par with 2013 in quality, and not far behind in quantity—and even the Rutherford and Oakville elite struggled to make space in their cellars for the 2015s. Once again, Chad pounced, and the result, which lit up our friend’s face with an ear-to-ear smile, we sampled in the parking lot once our cappuccinos were done. As good as advertised; worth the wait.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve is a classic example of the iron fist in a velvet glove—standing tall next to Rutherford’s finest, minus the sticker shock.

Jonathan Cristaldi

Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access