Staglin Family Vineyard SALUS Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2016

In 1985, Garen and Shari Staglin purchased their 62-acre ranch with a 50-acre producing vineyard in the Rutherford Bench in the Napa Valley. Originally planted in the mid-1860's by the Sullivan family (descendants of the de Latours of Bordeaux, the founding family of Beaulieu Vineyards), this unique Rutherford Bench property had been re-planted under the guidance of the legendary André Tchelistcheff in 1963, and for many years was his favorite vineyard for producing the BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. It also shares property lines with some of Napa's most famous names: Inglenook, Scarecrow, and the Bella Oaks Vineyard. Since 1986, well regarded vineyard manager David Abreu has been in charge of managing their vineyards, all of which are CCOF farmed organically. Fredrik Johansson, who previously worked with consulting winemaker, Thomas Brown at Outpost Wines on Howell Mountain, and also oversaw several of Thomas' consulting projects, including Schrader Cellars and Maybach Family Vineyards, as their winemaker. Additionally, famed French blending master Michel Rolland consults for Staglin and helps with their final blending decisions. You can see that everything at Staglin is about quality and producing the best possible wines they can from their unique terroir. Their wines personified - a high-roller enjoying the hedonistic pleasures in life. 

2016 was yet another superb growing season that began with a warm and dry winter. A relatively hot season and start to summer pushed the pace and the expectation of an early harvest but a significant cooling shift occurred at the end of July, tapping the brakes enough for a more extended hang time allowing increased flavor development. Ripe, dark and wonderfully herbaceous, the 2016 Salus Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, reminiscent of the tradition but undeniably Napa in its abundant exuberance. Aged for 20 months in French oak, deep black and blue fruits rich with confection swirl around a plushly textured core, given lift and dimension by resinous flowers, milled spices and subtle earth. At once pillow-y and powerful, this youthful wine will likely shed some weight and become more determined with additional time in bottle.