2023 Frog's Leap Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley

When you think of iconic and pioneering California wineries and winemakers, Frog’s Leap and its owner John Williams must be one of the first ones that come to mind. John’s story is a favorite around here at Big Hammer Wines. He started out on a dairy farm, went to Cornell, and started his wine career on the East Coast. In the early 1970s, John went cross country and became Warren Winiarski’s only employee at Stag’s Leap, helping to bottle the 1973 Stag’s Leap Cabernet. 

You may have heard of that wine. A bottle of it now resides at the National Museum of Natural History in D.C. It is literally a national treasure, having confounded and mesmerized the wine world at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. Fast forward five years to 1981, and John launched his own winery—Frog’s Leap. In 1987, he released his first Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1984 vintage, the predecessor to this 2019 Frog's Leap Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford. 

That first vintage was not grown in Napa’s Rutherford. It would be decades before Williams released a Rutherford Cab. He had first to find just the right spot in the highly sought-after Rutherford AVA and then take the time to dry farm it organically before producing a wine that would be impossible to grow outside of the 10 square miles that define its appellation. 

Then there's 2023. After three years of drought, fire and heat domes, Napa got a wet winter and a long, cool season. The last grapes came in on November 2. That is the latest Frog's Leap has ever picked for a dry wine. Long hang time with cool nights is exactly what I want from Rutherford.

The blend is 96.2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.8% Cabernet Franc from three estate vineyards: Williams-Rossi, Chavez-Leeds and Red Barn. It spent 20 months in French oak, only about 15% new. It went to bottle with no fining. Alcohol is 13.9%. Deep color, real grip, and enough acidity to keep every sip moving.

The winery pairs it with roasted vegetables as happily as steak. Winemaker Rory Williams also says he expects it to outlive him. I'd take two bottles. One for a rib-eye this month, one for the back of the cellar. Decant it two hours and let Rutherford do the talking.