Sign of the Dove Georges III Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2021

Four generations of the Taub Family have lived with wine as their centerpiece. Marty Taub entered the wine industry in the years after prohibition ended, and by 1930, he had been instrumental in revitalizing wine imports. In 1977, he and his son David founded Palm Bay International, representing a collection of distinctive wines worldwide. In 2013, David’s son Marc founded Taub Family Vineyards in the Napa Valley. For the last decade, Marc and his son Jake have forged a new path for the Taub Family to create beautiful wines from some of California’s most exciting appellations, establishing solid relationships with Napa’s best growers, specifically Andy Beckstoffer. 2024 marks the year when Jake takes center stage, ready to make his mark on the Taub family legacy with the inaugural release of Sign of the Dove.

During the 2019 Aspen Food & Wine Festival, Jake attended a winemaking seminar led by Aperture owner/winemaker Jesse Katz. Jesse’s winemaking prowess preceded him, and Jake knew he had to meet him after the event. The two quickly started a conversation and, by the end, had a date in the books to visit Jesse’s state-of-the-art winery in Healdsburg. Three weeks later, Jake and his father, Marc, visited with Jesse and were thoroughly wowed by the facility, which showcased the latest and greatest winemaking equipment and technologies. Jesse’s thoughtful approach to building his winery with no detail missed reflected his style that embraces precision through innovation. His resume is an all-star cast of the world’s top wineries, such as Screaming Eagle and Château Petrus, which he credits with instilling his meticulous methodology. With an eye on the potential to combine Jesse’s adept and impeccable winemaking with the exceptional fruit from the Beckstoffer vineyards, Jake and Jesse struck a deal that day to make wine together. From this handshake, Sign of the Dove took flight with a name that pays homage to the family’s ancestry as “Taube” means dove in German.

The grapes for this wine hail from the storied Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard on the east side of Rutherford, hugging the Silverado Trail. This vineyard ranks among the most cherished grape growing sites in the Napa Valley as parcels in the 300-acre Georges III property date back to 1895, planted by Mrs. Thomas Rutherford (yes, that Rutherford.) Beaulieu Vineyards stewarded the land for 60 years, making the BV Cabernets that would become world-renowned in their distinction as fine wines of Napa Valley. 1988 saw the vineyards transition to the Beckstoffer family and re-plantings to take advantage of new Cabernet Sauvignon clones and modern spacing and trellising techniques.

Similar to the inaugural Missouri Hopper from Sign of the Dove, the debut 2021 Georges III crafted by the team is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Block A1A. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented in two vessel types: stainless steel and concrete. Over three to five days, the wine underwent fermentation with, in some cases, almost eight daily punch downs to extract maximum expression of tannin and terroir and deepen the color. After 22 months of aging in 80% new French oak barrels of medium-long toast, the separate lots were blended unfined and unfiltered. “Beautifully complex aromas of dried fig, black cherry, and tea leaves layered with lavender and cocoa powder. Incredible harmony on the palate with seamless acidity and well-structured, velvety tannins leading to a lengthy finish with a touch plum, dark chocolate, and baking spice. An intensely concentrated wine that will age for decades.” – Jesse Katz