Our Rutherford Vineyard
Typically, most of the Rutherford AVA is known for its Cabernets and red wines – but when we discovered the special terroir of this site, we chose a different path. When we first purchased our Rutherford vineyard, it was home to Cabernet Sauvignon, but our winemaking team wasn’t thrilled with the characteristics of the grapes. Because the vineyard sits next to the Napa River, it has an abundance of water that wasn’t ideal for growing Cabernet. We made the tough decision to start from scratch, pulling out the Cabernet Sauvignon and replanting the vineyards with Sauvignon Blanc, which we knew would thrive on this particular site – and we’ve never looked back.
We love the Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in our Rutherford vineyard. With 1.5 acres of exquisite vines, this vineyard is close enough to the San Pablo Bay to be blanketed in early morning fog but far enough away to enjoy warm temperatures and an abundance of sun during the day, highlighting the best of the Rutherford AVA.
Come with us on a journey to explore what makes our Rutherford vineyard so special.
The Fruits of Our Vines
Our Rutherford vineyard produces exclusively Sauvignon Blanc grapes. While this iconic grape can grow in a variety of climates, it thrives in the warm, sunny Napa Valley, and the results are unmistakable when you taste a glass of Davis Estates Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc wines are known to be dry, crisp, and elegant, and can range from herbaceous and grassy to fruit-forward. At Davis Estates, we’re particularly proud of our 2023 Sauvignon Blanc – a bright, refreshing wine that showcases a well-balanced acidity and features flavors of fresh citrus, golden apple, and minerality. It’s one of our favorite wines to sip with friends in the summertime months.
The Fruits of Our Vines
One of Napa Valley’s central AVAs, the Rutherford AVA is a small but mighty growing area bordered by the Vaca mountains. Based in the heart of Napa wine country, this viticultural area carries a rich history dating back to the early 1800s.
Few names in Napa history are as well-known as George C. Yount – one of the founding fathers of California wine country. Yount first came to the Rutherford area when he was awarded the land through the Rancho Caymus land grant, consisting of two leagues of land given to Yount by Governor Nicolas Gutierrez. This decision was heavily influenced by another giant of the early days of Napa, General Mariano Vallejo.
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The land was divided in 1864, when Yount gave a little over 1,000 acres to his granddaughter Elizabeth and her husband Thomas Rutherford as a wedding gift. To this day, the land still bears the Rutherford name – a tribute to the first family to truly tend the land. The Rutherfords became some of the first people to to nurture the Napa Valley soil and plant vineyards, making a name for themselves in winemaking history.
Along with the Rutherfords, a man by the name of Georges de Latour began to plant in the Rutherford region in the early 1900s, importing grapevines that were resistant to the phylloxera epidemic of the era. His proactive efforts kept the area’s wine production alive, and his ingenuity and determination continued throughout the Prohibition era, when he pivoted his winemaking business to crafting sacramental wine for religious organizations – allowing him to stay in business during a time when the wine industry as a whole was falling apart at the seams.
Upon the repeal of Prohibition, de Latour brought Rutherford back into the spotlight, producing world-class fine wines that would gain recognition across the globe. In 1939, he won a gold medal at the Golden Gate International Exposition for his 1936 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon.
The area continued to thrive for decades to come, and in 1993, Rutherford was officially pronounced an American Viticultural Area. The next year, the Rutherford Dust Society was founded – the AVA’s membership group – as a tribute to the legacy of the growers and winemakers who paved the way for this beloved AVA.
We’re proud to have vineyards in an area so deeply rooted in Napa winemaking history, and to see the fruit of this incredible land each day through our Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
Vineyard Climate
Warm, sunny, and bright, the Rutherford AVA can be found at the widest part of the Napa Valley, giving it the most light of all of Napa’s wine appellations. This sunlight yields ripe grapes, which produce wines bursting with complexity and flavor.
The Rutherford AVA is perhaps most well known for the famous Rutherford Dust – deep, gravelly volcanic soil that gives its wines grainy tannins. This soil is created in part due to the Napa River’s alluvial fan, which produces nutrient rich, fertile soil that is ideal for growing.
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Located at 155-500 feet above sea level, the Rutherford AVA is protected from the worst of the afternoon sun by the surrounding Mayacamas Mountains. Additionally, the eastern edge of the appellation is home to a series of complex hills and folds in the Vacas, which create unique microclimates for growing.
Our vineyards receive around 38 inches of rainfall annually, which is on the mid to high end of Napa’s average range. While the Rutherford AVA receives far less than the Calistoga AVA’s 60 inches per year, it still receives a solid, consistent rainfall that allows the grapes to thrive.
Our winemakers love our Rutherford vineyard for the vibrant, concentrated fruit it produces year after year. The warm growing climate and ideal soil allow for an exceptional harvest, empowering our team to continue crafting world-class Sauvignon Blanc.
