An anomaly, this wine was beautiful after an hour open but was absolute perfection once it had been open overnight in the bottle. Undoubtedly, it has decades of aging potential ahead, and it’s safe to say that many of John’s wines will become a prize among the cult classics. Wines like this are going to bear the same ageability and prestige as the old Inglenook, Charles Krug, and Heitz Cellars red wines from the 60’s and 70’s. John was only able to release a tiny allocation of this rare beauty, directly from the Frog’s Leap Cellar. This wine has been stored at the winery since it was bottled and we can assure you that each bottle was perfectly cellared. There are few moments in time where all of the stars align, and we are honored to bring you this offer. This is an extraordinary opportunity to add a small piece of Napa Valley history to your cellar.

Founder John Williams grew up on a dairy farm. After an internship at Taylor Wine Company, took his agricultural studies to Napa via the Greyhound line. He fell in love with winemaking, completed his Master's at UC Davis, and worked his first job at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for the vintage that won the famous Judgment of Paris tasting. He teamed up with Larry Turley to start Frog’s Leap in 1981, and the rest is history. Together in 1988, John and Larry’s winery was among the very first estates to be certified organic in entire Napa Valley appellation. John purchased Larry’s interest in Frog’s Leap in 1993 and continued to push the envelope for quality and sustainability with solar power, green practices, and dry farming. These practices not only conserve water and reduce soil erosion, but they promote resilient, healthy vines which dig much deeper into the soil, bringing more depth and balance to the final wine—a traditional practice of old-world winemaking.

 

Derived from Rutherford’s classic alluvial fan soils—comprised of gravel and sandy clay loam—this proprietary red blend named “Rutherford” is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Cabernet Franc which delivers the classic Rutherford dust that first made the appellation famous. It has all the nuances of the old world that one rarely finds outside the classic examples from the left bank of Bordeaux.  A true visionary, John Williams crafts his wine in a traditional, elegant style that is on par with the quality of Bordeaux but delivers the unique voice of the Napa Valley.