I hate to say I told you so with ANY wine–trying to keep an open mind on all tastes, but oh man if there ever was a thudding clunker for homogenous Napa Valley cab, this label cranks them out with predictable consistency. People eschewing the dominant Provenance valley-inspecific bottles are always like, Oh but have you had the Rutherford? Sure, there is a dusty relevance to the nose and early uptake; Sure, there is spicy brilliance and grainy splendor. Sure, whores look sexy a block away.

BUT. You also have to endure pitch-black impenetrable concentration, heat glowing beyond the spice and cavity-inducing sweet obesity before thinking maybe a bit more tannin might work out well. So yeah… I can’t get on board. Assuming the label has a nice, cookie-cutter “14-5” on the label but there’s no way this floats under 15-5 and I’m going with a TTB 14-9. I will say, it is aging better than I would have predicted.

2014 PROVENANCE ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 14.9

https://www.provenancevineyards.com/