Robert Parker, tasting note published in December 15th 2016
The estate's blend, the 2014 Rubicon (96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) has a saturated black/purple colour and a nose of blackberry and cassis with some camphor and charcoal. Smooth, rich, and full-bodied, with exceptional precision and personality, it is an incredibly delicious, complex wine with 25-30 years of potential. It is the antithesis of the rustic and somewhat crude reds that were produced under the Rubicon name when Francis Ford Coppola acquired the Inglenook estate. Congratulations on the dramatic improvements he has made. Already affordable, this wine will not reach its peak for another decade or so and will last 30 years or more.
The 2014 Rubicon demonstrates a harmonious and enduring character. Composed this year almost entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers a sweeter and rounder nose than could be found in other vintages, which is a testament to the perfect integration of fruit, tannin, and oak. Weighted throughout, the wine’s aroma and flavours are linear from start to finish, with sophisticated notes of dark berries, black cherries, currants, spice and vanilla flowing together, bringing impressive complexity to this excellent vintage. 18 months in American oak casks. 75% new in new barrels.
Allergens information
Contains sulphites.
SKU: 105893-1
Inglenook
Inglenook covers approximately 1,700 contiguous acres with almost 235 acres devoted to vineyards. Variations in the Estate’s topography reflect the great diversity of the Napa Valley – from clayey, well-drained soils at its rear to an expanse of vineyards with deeper but finer soils located in front of the Chateau – and contribute to the uniqueness of Inglenook’s terroir, a complex term that incorporates the natural growing conditions of the specific site as well as the winemaker’s signature – with some ineffable quality stemming from both – that distinguish the wine’s personality as unique. With patient determination and relentless negotiations over nearly four decades, the Coppolas are fulfilling the vow they made in 1975 by acquiring the Inglenook name and trademark. Inglenook – land, name and spirit – is whole again.
