While looking around my office recently, I came across a framed piece of advice by Edward Abbey that one of my father’s friends gave him many years ago titled “Famous Last Words”:
“One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am—a reluctant enthusiast…a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still there. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of the sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards.” – Edward Abbey
This advice resonates deeply with me—as an individual, as a parent, and as a steward of Rudd Estate. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by nature on a daily basis. The beauty of Napa Valley is all encompassing, from the sweeping presence of the mountains to the fleeting and delicate beauty of flowering after bud break. Details large and small have such intricate beauty. The more technology invades our everyday life, the more important Edward Abbey’s advice feels grounding and necessary.
My husband and children share my father’s love of fishing and the outdoors, and I encourage us all to explore it whenever possible. This relationship with the land is fundamental to everything we do at Rudd Estate. Winegrowing starts with a love of the land—my father instilled it in me at a young age, and so I am doing the same with my children.
It is with that spirit that I am pleased to release the 2022 Rudd Oakville Estate Red and the 2024 Rudd Mt. Veeder Estate Sauvignon Blanc.
The 2022 Rudd Oakville Estate Red is both captivating and luxurious—compelling now for its harmony and poise yet thoughtfully structured for long-term evolution in the cellar. Concentrated yet remarkably lithe, it resonates with tension and purity, reflecting both the character of the vintage and the volcanic, iron-rich soils of eastern Oakville.
The 2024 Rudd Mt. Veeder Estate Sauvignon Blanc offers immediate brilliance alongside the structure to evolve gracefully over time, placing it among the most distinguished expressions of the variety. Notes of white nectarine and exotic guava emerge with restraint, carried through a cool, stony profile reminiscent of rain-washed granite.
Both wines are authentic expressions of our sites—hand-crafted with deep respect for the land and the people who care for it. As the new year unfolds, we hope you find moments to slow down and reconnect with nature in your own way—and perhaps discover fresh inspiration in its rhythms. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy these wines, which reflect not only our land, but the enduring impact of the people behind them.
All the best,
Samantha Rudd
2022 Rudd Oakville Estate Red
The 2022 vintage harvest will be remembered as one of the more unique vintages in recent memory with a focus on resilience and adaptability. With mild December rain, the beginning of the growing season commenced on the warmer side, leading to an early budbreak. Going into late spring and early summer, the vines showed strong shoot growth and average crop yields. A warm August led to early picks from our Oakville Estate starting on August 31st, with all fruit being harvested shortly after. Due to an unprecedented heat wave of 5 days over Labor Day weekend, our vineyard crew and winemaking team worked tirelessly to pick and process the entire property in 2 weeks, with our last pick coming in on September 15th. Due to the age of our vines and meticulous farming practices, we were able to capture freshness and structure, while keeping concentration and finesse to provide an impressive wine in a more challenging vintage.
The 2022 Rudd Oakville Estate Red greets the senses with a poised and intricately layered bouquet, where pure boysenberry and black cherry fruit are gently lifted by bright red currant and a whisper of violet petals. Subtle botanical hints of fennel seed and warm allspice find harmony with a delicate floral lift, framing the fruit with quiet refinement. On the palate, the wine is defined by clarity and precision. Bright red cherry and black plum converge with Cabernet Sauvignon’s signature cassis; each expression of fruit articulated through a vibrant beam of acidity bringing energy and lift. The midpalate is concentrated yet lithe, resonating with tension and purity that reflect both the vintage conditions and the volcanic, iron-rich soils of eastern Oakville. As the wine evolves, layers of freshly moved earth, cool graphite and dark roasted cocoa emerge, underscoring the vineyard’s mineral signature and imparting a sense of quiet gravity. The tannins here are finely knit like crushed velvet, structured and precise, providing form without imposition and carrying the wine through a long, sustained finish. The 2022 vintage of the Rudd Oakville Estate Red is captivating and luxurious–compelling now for its harmony and poise yet distinctly composed for prolonged evolution in the cellar.
2024 Rudd Mt. Veeder Estate Sauvignon Blanc
The 2024 vintage is regarded as a true Napa Valley classic. The season began favorably with winter rains saturating the soil, laying a foundation of nourishment for our vines and fostering strong canopy growth. A moderate spring allowed for just enough natural foliage growth to shade the fruit from several days of intense heat as summer gave way to fall. Harvest began relatively early in comparison to 2023, with our first pick of Sauvignon Blanc from Mt. Veeder reaching the Workshop on August 19th. White varieties continued to be harvested over the next 10 days and concluded with our last pick of Semillon on August 29th.
The 2024 Rudd Mt. Veeder Estate Sauvignon Blanc presents with a crystalline presence in the glass, its luminosity suggesting both freshness and intention. The aromatics unfold with a sense of air and movement—Meyer lemon and sweet key lime appear first, carried by notes of freshly cut thyme and bright lemongrass. White nectarine and exotic guava emerge with quiet restraint, drifting through a cool, stony register reminiscent of rain-washed granite. A subtle suggestion of meringue adds a silken, almost downy softness to the bouquet. On the palate, the wine is composed yet generous, shaped by a line of acidity that feels tensile and precise. White grapefruit, kaffir lime, and preserved lemon reveal themselves in measured cadence, giving way to a midpalate that deepens gradually. Succulent nectarine and summer melon contribute a gentle fullness, while the texture becomes increasingly enveloping and finely layered. As the wine moves toward its close, understated tones of brioche and wild honey surface, lending warmth and dimension without dilution of focus. The finish is elongated, marked by composure and a lingering mineral clarity. The 2022 Rudd Mt. Veeder Estate Sauvignon Blanc offers both immediate brilliance and the structure to evolve gracefully, placing it among the most distinguished expressions of the variety.