2016 Sullivan Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley 750 ml

Sullivan’s Rutherford Estate Cab is a rare prize, one that’s often devoured by their devoted mailing list. When we tried this rich and layered 2016 from one of the best vintages Napa has ever seen, we were sure it was destined for a similar fate. But thanks to Wine Access members’ avid Sullivan fandom, the estate opened their cellar doors for just the third allocation we’ve had in ten years, and we managed to negotiate an unbelievable price.

An excellent Cabernet at any price, our $59 is astonishing for an estate-grown bottle from Sullivan’s part of town, especially one from the spectacular 2016 vintage. It’s pure opulence from prime terroir, the same enviable, accolade-adorned area that Scarecrow ($900+), Staglin ($280), and next-door neighbor Alpha Omega ($138) call home. This is the Rutherford Bench at its best, home to some of the Napa Valley’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignons. 

The past two Sullivan Estate Cab vintages we’ve offered sold out almost immediately and racked up 96 four- and five-star member reviews. Most were right in line with Robert Parker’s assessment of the estate: “Sullivan’s wines are among the richest and most massively constituted in Napa.”

This release brings that same power, yet also comes bearing the fruit complexity and precision of the historic 2016 vintage, one that Wine Advocate called the “best, most consistent Napa Valley vintage among a string of five great years.” Decanter took that statement a step further, praising the year as “unquestionably one of the finest for California Cabernet Sauvignon in the past two decades.” 

The tension and focus of that landmark vintage are multiplied in this release made entirely from estate grapes. Its black- and blue-fruit aromas open up to reveal layers of mocha, star anise, sweet tobacco, and a touch of graphite. On the palate, Rutherford’s trademark dusty tannins complement a lingering finish of chocolate, toast, and tobacco. A seamless combination that Jeb Dunnuck praised as “an old school, complex, textbook Cabernet.”

The winery was founded by Napa pioneer James Sullivan, who purchased the 26 acres on the Rutherford valley floor in 1978 and helped establish the region as one of Napa’s brightest lights. He chose the vineyards in part on the advice of the legendary Russian viticulturist André Tchelistcheff, who was fond of saying: “It takes Rutherford dust to grow great Cabernet.”

In 2016, Juan Pablo Torres-Padilla acquired the historic property and has raised its profile while pushing the naturally opulent grapes toward elegance and depth. The 2016, aged in 50% new French oak, is rich and lush, yet structured to age gracefully.