The Rutherford AVA, nestled within the Napa Valley AVA, is considered one of the world's finest winegrowing regions. Warm sunshine and morning fog allow the grapes to ripen slowly while preserving their acidity. The great winemaker André Tchelistcheff coined the term “Rutherford dust” to describe the fine, dusty tannins found in red wines from here.
Within the Rutherford AVA, Freemark Abbey’s Sycamore and Bosché vineyards lie atop the coveted Rutherford Bench. The Bosché Vineyard’s deep, gravelly soils strike the perfect balance between water retention and drainage for the grapes. A seasonal creek raises the water table in spring, providing water and nutrients for new growth. The water table drops later, stressing the vines and intensifying dark cherry, black currant, cinnamon, cedar and clove flavors in the wines. The Sycamore Vineyard abuts the Maycamas Range and has rich clay loam soils. Wines sourced from here exude black currant, dark chocolate truffle, mushroom and forest floor aromas and express sweet black cherry on the palate. Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced from these two vineyards can be cellared up to 30 years.