2019 Frog's Leap Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
A little extra heat at harvest compared with the previous year gave the 2019 wines an extra dose of power and tannin, but the wine still abounds in the famous Rutherford ‘Dust’. This powerful and delicious vintage will be one for the ages, and will in time develop all of the hallmarks of a wine that reflects Rutherford.
This Rutherford estate winery has one heck of a creation story. Officially bonded (founded) in 1981, Frog’s Leap is the story of two dedicated individuals willing to take a leap on their dream. In the early 1970s, John Williams came to Napa for an internship in the wine industry. Here, he met Larry Turley. They waxed poetic about opening a winery in Napa at a site that was once a frog farm (true story). After helping put Napa on the wine map as a Stag’s Leap employee when that wine made headlines in the mid-70s, John went to U.C. Davis, worked at Spring Mountain, sold his motorcycle and bought some superlative fruit from Spottswoode that would help get Frog’s Leap off the ground. Eventually, Turley followed his own dream, and sold Frog’s Leap to the Williams family who in turn moved the operation to their now home in Rutherford. Owning their vineyards and land was the first step to eventually gaining organic farming certification, and furthering their commitment to protecting, sustaining and nurturing the land… and making awesome wines along the way.
Vinous
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown is a firm, classically built wine that is going to need a few years to come into its own. There is admirable depth as well as character. Red cherry/plum fruit, spice, tobacco and mocha lend quite a bit of aromatic nuance to this mid-weight, super-expressive Cabernet from Frog's Leap.