Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This is the wine formerly known as Cask. In 2013, it benefited from the viticultural work Philippe Bascaules and his team undertook to help the vines ripen their fruit more efficiently. Presented as a selection of the best lots that remain in the cellar after the blending of Rubicon, it ages in a combination of French (90 percent) and American oak, half of it new. It’s a remarkably gracious 2013, elegant and bright, with crunchy cool fruit that feels supercharged by the Rutherford tannins, a gravelly growl of energy. Those dark tannins shade the brightness of the fruit, even as the fruit adds tension and verticality to their richness. If you collect Napa Valley cabernet, this is a wine to cellar, especially at the price.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A wonderful wine from an outstanding vintage, the 2013 Inglenook Cabernet shows up the discussion of the vintage's best wines. This Cabernet exhibits beautiful red fruits, a lovely palate texture, and a long finish. Pair it with a crown roast of lamb. (Tasted: October 30, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
Aromas of blueberries, blackberries and minerals. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Linear and crisp. Drink or hold.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.