Cabernet lovers are often looking for wines which can be traced to a specific plot of land, and the limited production William Harrison Estate wines make them a true find for the wine buff.  Our wines exhibit characteristics directly resulting from our unique vineyards and location.  So what is special about our location?

NAPA VALLEY
First some background information.  Napa Valley is a slender 30 mile stretch of California landscape, bristling with pristine vineyards and picturesque wineries.  A drive north on Silverado Trail from the city of Napa to the town of Calistoga, takes in thousands of acres of vines and dozens of wineries, including our own. Our winery is located in the upper-mid point of the valley.

Few places on earth are capable of delivering so many tremendous Cabernets of such variety as is Napa Valley.  Indeed, when you consider how small Napa Valley is (producing just four percent of California's wine grapes), you begin to realize just how important an area this is to wine lovers.  The valley's climate changes subtly but significantly from end to end, from side to side and between the valley floor and the mountainsides.  Additionally, numerous soil types abound in the Napa Valley.  All of these factors affect flavor development, acid balance and the quality of tannins.  So what is Napa Valley's Rutherford Appellation, and why is it so special?

THE RUTHERFORD DISTRICT (AVA)
Cabernet Sauvignon was first planted in the valley more than a century ago.  The small town of Rutherford, located near the center of the valley, emerged as Napa's first prime cabernet growing district.  Cabernets perform especially well here, as there is an ideal mixture of cool mornings and evenings and warm, sunny days, usually ripening the grapes fully and quite easily.  This area was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA), also known as an appellation.

      "It takes Rutherford dust to produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon."  --Andre Tchelistcheff

Appellations are intended to identify unique winegrowing areas and the resulting wine characteristics and style.  This designation has given rise to a new breed of Napa Valley Cabernets — wines that demonstrate unique qualities that set them apart from the other Appellations.  One example: The wines produced from the grapes grown in the Rutherford district reflect a distinct and identifiable character fondly referred to as "Rutherford Dust".  It describes the mouth-feel from a fine Rutherford Cabernet.  In the Rutherford area, the wines tend to be perfectly proportioned, intense yet not heavy, with refined clarity of Cabernet fruit.  But what does it mean to us?

Answer:  Vineyard location is strongly connected to the style and quality of the wine.

        "Wine is made (first) in the vineyard."  --Antonio Perelli-Minetti

OUR ESTATE VINEYARDS
One of the most important things about the valley's general climate is the role its faceted topography plays in creating temperature and pressure differentials that move air up and down the valley, helping to even out extremes.  Cabernet Sauvignon thrives on warmer temperatures, yet enjoys cool nights.  These valley floor Cabernets tend to be riper, fleshier and fruiter, with more plum, black cherry and currant flavors than those grown on hillside.  Moving north up the Valley, the personality of wines deepens and the tannins gain substance as the increasing heat and drier soils begin to make thicker grape skins.  In the Rutherford area, where the cool nights and warm days are most evenly balanced in the Valley, the wines tend to be perfectly proportioned, intense yet not heavy, with refined clarity of Cabernet fruit.  As important as the microclimate is, the unique soils at our location play an equally important role.

In the end, we are constantly learning about our estate vineyards. As each new vintage is released, we come to better understand how these wines want to be made. One of the wonderful things about making wine is that we are constantly learning and intrigued by how Mother Nature can surprise us.

To learn more about the Rutherford Appellation, go to www.rutherforddust.com