2021 Rudd 'Estate' Proprietary Red Oakville
The pinnacle of Rudd Estate, this elegantly crafted Oakville red is a pure expression of site and vintage. Grown in the ironstone-laced volcanic and alluvial soils of east Oakville, where late afternoon sun is carefully managed to preserve freshness, it delivers a striking aromatic profile—sagebrush, spicebush, dried tobacco, and mineral depth. Lifted and vibrant, the palate unfolds with pure black cherry, blackberry, and cassis, layered with fragrant dried herbs and fig leaf. Ultra-fine dusty tannins dissolve seamlessly into a long, earth-and-cocoa-nib finish. Medium-bodied yet deeply structured, this first full vintage from winemaker Natalie Bath is a testament to precision, balance, and longevity.
Decanter
Rudd Estate is situated in east Oakville, where vines are subject to late afternoon sun and heat, so mitigating those effects in the vineyard is paramount to ensure a "crescendo of acidity," as winemaker Natalie Bath puts it. Strikingly aromatic with intriguing savoury nuances that lead with ironstone volcanic minerals, nuanced by sagebrush, spicebush, and dried tobacco leaves, framed by pure black cherry, blackberry, and cassis. Medium-bodied, lifted, fresh, and filled with vitality on the palate, layered with more cherry and black currant, fragrant dried herbs and fig leaf, which weave an aromatic and flavour-driven tapestry around the ultra-fine-grained dusty tannins, which dissolve like fine powdery minerals, building to a long earth-and-cocoa-nib-driven finish. There is such freshness and vibrancy in this elegantly fashioned red. The 2021 harvest, completed on the early side by mid-September, marks Natalie Bath's first vintage entirely in the driver's seat as Rudd Estate winemaker (she first worked in the cellars back in 2012).