January 8, 2013 – Wine: 2002 Hewitt Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

To honor my drinking buddy’s imminent birthday, I offered him a selection of some of the nicest wines in my cellar.  It was fun watching him struggle to choose just one bottle, but in the end, he settled on this 2002 Hewitt.  This is the wine that sent me down the path in search of some of Napa Valley’s finest, and to this day remains my favorite wine out of Napa Valley.  I first tasted this (naively – out of a preview bottle) in February of 2005.  The wine was consistently impressive from the moment it was opened until four hours later when we finally started to drink it.  Since then, I have opened it three times to celebrate my birthday and have relished every drop. 

Tonight, this wine was again spectacular.  The aromas from this wine swept over the dinner table as soon as the glasses were poured.  It needed about 30 minutes to whip itself into shape, but near perfect balance was attained after about an hour or so.  The palette is both elegant and powerful, with rich flavors of red currants, black cherry, chalky minerals, leather, and tea (to name just a few).  Upon finishing the wine, what struck me most was how consistently this wine has delivered ever since my first sip back in 2005.  The way that this wine has held up, I expect to enjoy another bottle in eight to ten more years.


2002 Hewitt Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon