Sullivan Rutherford Estate is one of those Napa places that still feels like a secret, even though it has been around since 1972. French for “Heart of the Vine,” Coeur de Vigne could not be a more fitting name for the estate.
A Napa Estate with History
Sullivan Wine sits quite literally at the heart of Napa Valley, on the old Rancho boundary that once divided Rancho Caymus to the south and Rancho Carne Humana to the north. That sense of being at the crossroads runs through the estate’s story.
Sullivan began as the vision of James “Jim” O’Neil Sullivan, a Los Angeles wine lover. In the 1950s, a simple backyard grape arbor and a bit of home winemaking sparked a curiosity that eventually pulled him and his wife, JoAnna, north to the Napa Valley.
In 1972, during the early days of the boutique winery movement, the Sullivans moved to Rutherford and purchased property on what is now Galleron Road, right in the heart of the Rutherford AVA. With encouragement and consulting from legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff, they planted primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on the 26‑acre estate a few years later, betting on Bordeaux varieties before it was fashionable.
Meeting Jeff Cole
Winemaker Jeff Cole joined Sullivan Rutherford Estate in 2013, and talking with him, it is clear he views his role as both steward and stylist. He describes his philosophy as marrying New World precision with Old World restraint: harnessing Napa’s natural ripeness while keeping the wines grounded in freshness, balance, and a clear sense of place. His goal is not to chase trends or scores, but to craft wines that feel timeless rather than timestamped from vintage to vintage.
Cole talks about Cabernet in terms of texture and energy as much as flavor. He is obsessed with picking decisions, canopy management, and small‑lot fermentation, all in service of capturing fruit that is fully ripe but never overblown. Oak is a framing device, not the story; the aim is polish, not gloss. When he speaks about Coeur de Vigne, you can hear both the winemaker and the curator — someone acutely aware that this wine is often a consumer’s first handshake with Sullivan Rutherford Estate.
2022 Coeur de Vigne: Heart of the Vine
The 2022 Coeur de Vigne Cabernet Sauvignon ($95) is the latest chapter in that story. The blend — 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc —reads like a classic Napa playbook, but the wine feels very much like Jeff Cole’s signature. The growing season was largely gentle and mild, with a late‑season heat wave that could have pushed things over the edge. Sullivan’s naturally low yields meant most of the fruit was already in the cellar before temperatures spiked, preserving the wine’s precision and lift.
In the glass, 2022 Coeur de Vigne comes across as poised and quietly confident rather than showy. The Cabernet core provides dark cassis, plum and black cherry, while the Merlot lends a supple mid‑palate, Petit Verdot contributes color, structure and a hint of floral spice, and Cabernet Franc adds a subtle herbal lift. The tannins are silky yet purposeful, giving the wine a refined architecture that supports its richness without ever feeling heavy. There is an underlying brightness that keeps each sip feeling energetic and alive.
Old World Nuance, New World Clarity
Spending time with Jeff, it is clear he is fascinated by the tension between power and grace. He speaks about Napa as a region that can easily deliver concentration and density; the challenge, and the art, is to layer in nuance, detail, and longevity. In Coeur de Vigne, that shows up as a wine that is approachable now — especially with a short decant — but built with the bones to age gracefully for a decade or more. The structure is there, but it is wrapped in fruit and finely knit tannins that feel more like a tailored suit than armor.
Cole’s approach leans heavily on small‑lot vinification and an almost obsessive attention to detail in the vineyard. Each block is picked and handled separately, giving him a broad palette when it comes time to blend. He describes blending as a process of “editing for clarity” — paring away anything that distracts from the core message of the wine: Rutherford dust, dark fruit, and a lingering, savory finish that invites another sip. Coeur de Vigne isn’t trying to be the loudest voice in the room; it aims to be the one you keep leaning in to hear.
Rutherford’s Hidden Heart
What makes Coeur de Vigne especially compelling is how clearly it reflects its home. There is that classic Rutherford signature — fine, cocoa‑like tannins, a gentle earthy undertone, and a kind of grounding minerality that keeps the wine from drifting into excess. It captures the history of a quietly iconic estate, the precision of a winemaker who sweats every vineyard decision, and the kind of balance that keeps you circling back to the glass.
