One can imagine myriad reasons for the wine trade to be invited to Napa Valley on a sunny afternoon, but this one was intriguing. We were convened on July 23 to celebrate a day in the dust. We weren’t kicking around in it or sweeping it up. We were there to taste it.
The late winemaker André Tchelistcheff is reputed to have said that it takes “Rutherford Dust” to grow great cabernet. He was referring to the gravelly, sandy, and loamy soil found in the Rutherford viticultural area. But knowledgeable folks say you find the dust in the glass, in the lingering dusty, earthy, spicy flavors of Rutherford cabernets.
