A Rutherford Steal: 50% of the Price of Neighbors
Posted on: 09/9/20 8:51 AM
2015 Akrasia Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
We’ll be blunt. The 2015 Akrasia Rutherford Cab wildly overdelivers and can easily compete chin to chin with fellow Napa cabs double or triple the price. If you like old school, more elegant and restrained California Cab, this 2015 Akrasia is a perfect fit and well worth its eye-popping $49.99 price tag. It is incredibly rare to see this level of quality, at this tiny artisanal scale, at such a low price. We did a double take when we saw the price list. Why? Because this doesn’t taste like $49.99. It tastes double that.
In their own words, Akrasia’s guiding philosophy, for both farming and the cellar, is that “Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon can and should be intricate and elegant.” One of the ways to accomplish that was to seek out and hire Patrick Saboe, a winemaker specializing in earnest, deliciously transparent Pinot Noir. Mr. Saboe uses this same “elegance and restraint first” approach to producing Cabernet Sauvignon, and the results speak for themselves.
Despite the challenges and small crop, 2015 from top tier producers like Akrasia, offers exceptional depth, power and considerable concentration. The fruit quality here, all of which is estate, is gorgeous and reminds us of the classic, restrained expression of Cabernet we yearn for in contemporary Napa. We’re absolutely thrilled with the stunning value here and are proud to support the efforts of this small, but deeply impressive domain.
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