Merlot Thrills
 at Rutherford Hill
If there is anyone who can put Merlot back on
our radar, it’s Anthony Terlato, patriarch of
Paterno Wines, and the proprietor of Napa
Valley’s Rutherford Hill Winery. It was almost 30
years ago that the winery emerged on the wine
horizon, with its then scene-stealing Merlot.
An established track record behind them,
along with a $6-10 million dollar investment by
the Terlato family, ensures an even brighter
future for a varietal that has been playing second fiddle
time and again to the box-office busting Napa Valley Cab.
Rutherford Hill’s Director of Winemaking, Doug Fletcher,
is convinced that the winery’s Merlot vintages will continue
improving as they have – year after year since the Terlato
purchase in 1996. He told Patterson’s “the Terlato’s desires
are to be the best, and my challenge is to carry that out.”
Quality First
Fletcher’s Mantra remains true to the belief that the wine
is made in the vineyard, and he is taking a strong stance
with his growers to reinforce that theory. In unison with his
Grower Relations Manager, Rob Weinstock, Fletcher is taking
bold steps to convince his growers that they “really
mean business.”
Growers were tasted blind on several wines to make
their own conclusions on taste, categorized into three
broad groups. “This was a beautiful way to encourage the growers to grow better fruit,” admitted
Fletcher, who also gave them each a
book on the best ways to grow grapes
for high-end wineries.
Producing about 10 percent of Napa
Valley’s Merlot holds a position of clout
for Rutherford Hill, so if any of his
growers do not heed his petition for the
desired style and quality of fruit, consequences
will follow.
“We made it clear that we intend our
wines to be the best,” he added. From a
group of 18 contracted growers,
Fletcher culled his sources to a scaleddown
nine. But, that’s progress, and
this newer, tighter group of growers
will take the right steps to constantly
focus on, and improve the fruit from
their vineyards for Rutherford Hill.
“In addition, we cut the production
by 20,000 cases to concentrate on quality,
we want to make the best Merlot,
not the most.”
Not afraid to thrash out what doesn’t
meet up to specs, Fletcher, taking heed
from Tony Terlato, whose credo instills
the phrase “world class quality” in his
family owned properties (Rutherford
Hill, Chimney Rock, Alderbrook and Sanford),
insists that in achieving improvement,
they will continue to move on and
in some cases, have to make sacrifices.
The Shape of Things to Come
Doug Fletcher and his team take
pruning so seriously, thinning the vines
and clusters is achieved virtually before
it is accomplished manually. By deciding
the shape the vine will take ahead of
time, Fletcher can actually project the
right number of buds that will bloom
and prunes the vines accordingly.
“It’s a mistake to wait until veraison
to thin,” he notes. “We think of the
grapes as hallowed fruit, but just like
roses, tomatoes or other fruit, the same
practices apply.” Practicing a technique
called “balanced vine theory,” Fletcher
can determine an appropriate amount
of leaves and canes grown by the
grapevines, which also calls for moderate
water stress.
The Wines of Rutherford Hill
“Wine has one ingredient,” mused
Doug Fletcher, as we sat and tasted
some of the latest releases. “Grapes.
And wine has one spice: Oak.”
Kicking around wine descriptives is a
hobby for some and a paycheck for others,
but Fletcher pointed out that wines
that are described as tasting too oaky
may be the result of the utilization of
bad oak. “It’s a false economy,” he cautioned, “there’s not much of a financial
difference between the cheapest oak to
the most expensive, maybe $100.”
Do you simply taste the lumber or
smell the lush spices, vanillin or
mocha? “And, magically, good oak
makes wine smell fruitier!”
Rutherford Hill Rosé of Merlot
“I’m
a cheerleader for this wine,” Fletcher
smiles openly. Originally making a rosé
of Merlot at Chimney Rock, he is a huge
proponent of this style which is just
now charming the wine world in an entirely
new light. Rosés are here in all
their pink passion, and this wine, although
light and lean, is reminiscent of
a strawberry purée, with perfectly dry
mineral back notes in delicate balance.
Rutherford Hill Chardonnay
A curvaceous
white wine, the fruit hails from
American Canyon, from the southern
end of the Napa Valley – even cooler
than Carneros. It’s green apple/lemony
style beams with fragrance, weight and
acidity. Smooth, not bitter, this is a ripe
and lively contender.
SRP $17.50
Rutherford Hill Merlot 2002, Napa
Valley
Formerly blended with Cabernet
Franc, the “newer” Rutherford Hill
Merlot – initiated over the past four to
five years - adds a small percentage of
Cabernet Sauvignon to achieve more
depth. “Cabernet Franc tends to have
bright aromatics,” explains Fletcher, “but even with characteristics of spice
and blueberries, the varietal seems to
have a hole in the middle of its profile.
The French have described Merlot
as the piece that fits into the donut of
Cab Franc. However, I believe that
Cabernet Sauvignon offers more intensity
than Cab Franc, as well as more
staying power, and, when mixed with
Merlot, admittedly possesses different
aromatics, but retains more complexity
as well.”
In the 2002 Merlot, berries explode in
the mouth at the very apex of ripeness.
It is indeed the winery’s best effort yet!
SRP $25
Inherit the Win
Introducing Terlato Family Vineyards
Taking a close look at varietals according to the appellations in which they shine, Tony
Terlato’s newest label introduces a Russian River Pinot Grigio, his first release of the
family label. “There’s a connection between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir,” said Director of
Winemaking, Doug Fletcher, who recommended the stellar growing area of Sonoma’s Russian
River which delivered a honeyed, floral and apricot-infused intrigue, more akin to the Alsace
fleshiness than the simpler, fruitiness found in the Italian style white.
“The Terlato Pinot Grigio has probably been one of our most successful new product launches,”
claimed Steve Wallace, owner of the popular Wally’s in Westwood. “We love it when we
make the recommendation of a wine to our customers and they come back and re-order by
the case. The packaging is lovely and the wine is even better. This is an opulent Pinot Grigio,
with off-dry mineral notes and layers of flavor.”
(1,800 cases / SRP $23.95)
We’re looking for Terlato’s next release, a Syrah from the Dry Creek Valley, coming this Fall.
Watch for our in-depth interview with Tony Terlato in the October issue of Patterson’s!
By Meridith May / Photos by Sean Arbabi
©2005 by Patterson's Beverage Journal.
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