Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes
Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, our signature blend, is ultimately defined by its core of dark, succulent Sacrashe Rutherford Vineyard fruit. Meticulous attention in the vineyard—careful canopy management, optimization of sun exposure—develops grapes with supple, ripe, opulent tannins. Vintage after vintage, our Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon is characterized by an interplay of elegance and concentration. It displays voluptuous, dark berry fruit aromas with notes of crushed lavender and graphite that carry over onto a dense palate. The wine’s intensity lasts over a lengthy finish.
The Sacrashe Vineyard
The Sacrashe vineyard serves as the core of the Kathryn Hall blend. It produces berries that are small and concentrated with intense flavors and tannin. The wines are exceptionally rich, expansive, and massively structured. The concentrated fruit maintains a focused clarity and the fine-grained tannin creates a balanced frame.
Ensconced by 100-year-old oaks, manzanita, and pines, the Sacrashe vineyard is composed of distinctive volcanic ash soils (tuff). An undulating topography creates numerous microclimates and slope grades. The Rutherford hilltop terroir creates difficult growing conditions and limits the vigor and yield of each vine to not more than 3 tons per acre. HALL’s small-vine farming practices further limit the yield such that each vine produces less than 4 pounds of fruit each year.
Craig and Kathryn Hall purchased Sacrashe, their first Napa Valley vineyard, in 1995. Intrigued by Rutherford terroir and the locale’s pedigree, the Hall's fell in love with Sacrashe’s serenity and sweeping vistas. They built their home at the summit of the rolling vineyard and constructed the HALL Rutherford Winery at the northwestern edge of the parcel.