Inglenook "Rubicon" Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
(Rutherford, Napa Valley, California) - [JS 97] [DM 97] [JD 95] [VM 94] [WA 94] [WE 94] [WS 93]

About the Wine:
The production of Rubicon, Inglenook’s premier red wine, began in 1978 and restored the estate’s legacy of making world-class wines. Rubicon is an elegant blend from the finest vineyard blocks and showcases the highest potential of both the estate and the vintage. Under the guidance of Philippe Bascaules, Inglenook’s Director of Winemaking, Rubicon proudly takes its place alongside much older, revered vintages of Inglenook in collectors’ cellars around the world.  Organically grown since 1995.                                                                               

2018 Vintage Notes:
The 2018 vintage produced a generous crop of excellent quality. Well-
timed precipitation in March and April encouraged slow, steady shoot development in the spring. Moderately warm temperatures throughout the season were ideal for gradual, even ripening of our Cabernet Sauvignon and the other red Bordeaux varieties. The Rubicon harvest began at the end of September in the Cohn vineyard, and 75% of the fruit destined for the 2018 Rubicon was harvested by the first week of
October. This early ripening of Rubicon fruit in 2018 made a significant contribution to the freshness and elegance of the final Rubicon blend.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Strikingly rich in color and extract, the 2018 Rubicon is unquestionably a precocious, hedonistic wine. The exotic, well-knit aromas and flavors include ripe cassis, allspice, star anise, vanilla and black licorice. Upon entry, this full-bodied wine envelops the palate with its luxurious concentration and supple, silky tannins, supported by vibrant freshness from the balanced acidity, and perfectly-integrated French oak. Very long and expansive in the finish, the 2018 Rubicon will be memorable for decades to come.

Vintage Notes:                                                                                                             

Appellation: Rutherford, Napa Valley
Blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Vineyard: Apple, Bridge, Cask, Cohn, Creek, Gio, Lower Garden, Walnut
Alcohol: 14.3%
Barrel Regime: 18 Months, 100% French Oak, 76% New Oak.
Bottled: June 2020

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling:                                                                                     

"Subtle and complex red with blackberry, black truffle, sweet tobacco and mahogany.  Highlights of lavender and violets. Full-bodied and very tight with finesse and tension.  Very polished, fine tannins. Long finish. Delicious already, but best after 2022."

97 Points - Decanter:

" A lovely enticing nose filled with rich plum, fig and blackcurrant fruits - heady and opulent. The palate is precise with a distinct texture, certainly dense and ripe but the flavours just settle on the tongue giving spiced touches of liquorice but allowing the freshness and acidity to underpin the overall taste. It feels very carefully constructed with everything in place allowing power and generality but neatly packaged and not overdone. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 18 months in 100% French oak, 76% new." Drink 2025-2040. - Georgina Hindle (July 2021)

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:

"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is based on a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s a more backward, closed wine, offering classy notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, freshly crushed stone, and cedar. More medium to full-bodied and elegant, I’d like to see a touch more density and richness on the mid-palate, but it's beautifully balanced, has gorgeous tannins, integrated acidity, and outstanding length on the finish. Give this classic, impressive, old school beauty 4-5 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following 15-20." Drink 2025-2046.

94 Points - Vinous Media:

"The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a dark, sumptuous beauty. Silky contours and soft curves wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, chocolate, new leather, licorice, spice and dried herbs. All the elements come together in this racy, opulent Cabernet from Inglenook. I am not sure Rubicon is meaningfully better or more complex than the Cabernet Sauvignon in 2018. It is richer and creamier, to be sure, but not necessarily more complex." Drink 2024-2038. - Antonio Galloni (September 2021)

94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:   

" A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon sports a deep garnet-purple color and expressive notes of mocha, tapenade, grilled meats and cedar with a core of creme de cassis, baked plums and blackberry pie plus a waft of garrigue. The full-bodied palate has tons of juicy black fruit layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and fragrant." Drink 2022-2040. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (November 2020)

94 Points "Cellar Selection" Wine Enthusiast:

"This vintage has 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Refined and elegantly structured, it offers notes of currant, cedar and espresso, the tannins thick and firm. The savory concentration has an Old World charm and restraint with well-integrated oak. Enjoy best from 2028–2038." - Virginie Boone (May 2022)

93 Points - Wine Spectator:

"Alluring aromatically, with restrained yet complex notes of mulberry, loganberry and anise giving way to an equally understated core of the same, picking up light sassafras, black tea and incense hints. The refined structure lets this drape nicely on the finish, with a mineral hint chiming in. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2035. 8,600 cases made." - James Molesworth (October 2021)