A knockout wine. The nose shows florals, tree bark, and dark fruit. The palate is all about balance. Unmistakably California with ripe fruit intertwined with anise and earth, layered beneath the firm structure. The finish is lush and long with a bit of dark chocolate. I usually stick to my regulars, the Napa stalwarts, but this was a nice detour. Nothing overblown about it. If you are lucky to have any, there is no rush.
A little checking shows that only 100 cases were produced and Tony Soter was the winemaker. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I drank quite a few 01 and 02 Etude cabs within a few years of release - haven’t had one in a long time. But the standout in my memory is that chocolate taste you described! These were beautiful wines.
Five years ago I did a small verical of 91, 94, 95, 97, and 01. I liked the 01 but thought the 91 & 94 were much better, but then I really prefer the more restrained wines and the change between 91, 94, 95 and 97 & 01 was very obvious.
Tony Soter had sold Etude by 2001 but I believe he was still making the wines at that time.
This is the only Etude I’ve had, and I thought it was restrained, but, perhaps not, in the mold of early to mid 1990s Etude. I would say the same about Dalla Valle in that the early to mid 1990s are lovely, but the alcohol has crept up in more recent vintages, and I don’t enjoy them as much. The only thing I missed in the Etude were Bordeaux like qualities I find in a wine like Togni. I
I was a big Etude fan and it was largely a gateway drug for me to other Napa Cabs at that time. I drank a lot of early 90s Etude but really not much post the 95 vintage and the 01 was the last I had. Regardless of the change I always felt one could call Etude a very “clean” wine. Not a really good word I know but the best I can come up with this morning. The wines were always nice but often lacked a little in complexity. I felt the earlier vintages were a little more complex and better balanced but all the vintages I tried were all more about clean fruit than anything else. I like your contrast to Togni as well I have a lot less experience with his wines I agree completely based on the vintages I tasted.
I just attended an Etude vertical last month, and we tasted through the 1998-2005 vintages and the 2001 was in my top three with 1998 and 2004 being the other two. Even in weaker vintage years like 1998 the wines were different (elegant and refined) yet had excellent cab characteristics in keeping with a more traditional style of winemaking.
2001 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford - USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford (10/25/2023)
Gorgeous wine. This is 100% old vine Cohn vineyard (Scarecrow) fruit made by Tony Soter. You know, the same stuff that goes into Toto's Opium Dream asking for $5k a bottle right now. Decanted off sediment and back to bottle, followed for an evening. Really long cork with absolutely no staining.
Profound density and richness initially. Sappy red currants, a hint of raspberry jam (but not jammy), slight touch of dusty earth. Palate is so so rich, layered, with incredible depth of fruit. Dark red and black fruits, a hint of red floral freshness, some subtle mineral character. Finish has a quick blast of drying red and dark fruits and gives way to some supple oak flavors.
I would never call this a 20yo wine. This is drinking so young and fresh as a daisy. Easily has another 20 in the tank in terms of the fruit holding up. Outstanding quality, stylistically larger than I prefer, but wow what an effort from some great vines. 93-94. Drink now or come back in 10 years. (93 points)
I loved seeing this thread. Totally forgot about this wine, and 5 years later, it’s good to read the wine is still going strong. I’ve been going through my few remaining late 90s, early 2000s California Cabs and each one has been a pleasure.
Those 01 and 02 Tony Soter Etude Cab’s are some of my all time favorite Napa wines. We drank through a bunch of the 97-02 vintages. Would love to try one now but mine are long gone.