Hewitt Estate is a true jewel of a vineyard, sitting squarely on the western Rutherford Bench - one of the finest places on earth to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. Its immediate neighbors include Inglenook, BV’s "Ranch No. 1" (the historic source for Georges de Latour), and just nearby you’ll find Scarecrow, Staglin, Morisoli, Bella Oaks, and Greer - an extraordinary collection of pedigree sites sharing the same coveted terroir. The soils here are classic Rutherford Bench: perfectly drained, gravelly alluvial fans spilling off the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. This warm, up-valley location provides the heat needed to fully ripen Cabernet, while the mountains offer crucial afternoon shade, preserving freshness and balance. The result is a wine that marries power and concentration with refinement and nuance. In the cellar, the estate fruit receives meticulous care - optical sorting, small-lot fermentations by block, and élevage in top-tier French oak. The wine opens with deep, layered aromas of dusty redcurrant, blackberry compote, baker’s chocolate, and leather, underscored by warm earth, oak spice, and that telltale iron-tinged minerality of Rutherford’s famed “dust.” On the palate, the structure is polished and fine-grained. After time in bottle, it's approachable and drinking beautifully. Despite its eight years of age, the wine's flavor profile remains quite youthful, brimming with fruit and energy, and clearly built for further development in the cellar. At our exceptional Insider’s Advantage pricing, this is a rare opportunity to secure a truly pedigreed Rutherford Cabernet at a fraction of the cost of its neighbors - many of which command $300–$800 per bottle. Coming from om the outstanding 2018 vintage, this wine delivers all the pedigree and longevity you’d expect. This is the real deal - don’t miss it!

The 2018 Hewitt “Estate” Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a vineyard on the Western Rutherford Bench, with vines planted in alluvial soils between 1996 and 2002. Clones 4, 7, and 8 of Cabernet Sauvignon deliver classic Mayacamas fruit, with blackberries, vanilla, summer bramble, and a whisper of violets unfolding across the palate. Plush and luxuriant in texture, the wine gains extra richness from bâtonnage (lees stirring) during malolactic fermentation. At $50 off, it’s a terrific value.