Winemaker Notes
Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Deep, rich, ripe and focused, this wine charms from the outset with aromas that are spot on for varietal precision and smell of the complex, layered best of the West Rutherford Bench. Its combination of currant and black cherry notes with hints of root beer and sweet loam are followed on the palate by a supple entry, balancing acidity and by the solid framing of long-grained, polished tannins. Like its aromatic character, its flavors are writ large and writ precisely, and while no one is going to mistake it for a quiet, nuanced wine, so too will no one find anything but deep and lovely character here.
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Wine Enthusiast
Even though 2008 was not the greatest Cabernet vintage, Rubicon has produced one of the most delicious bottlings of the year. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a little Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot for complexity, it's so delicious now, you might want to finish off the bottle. Soft and velvety, it appeals with blackberry and cherry pie filling flavors, and the oak appliqué is perfect. Combines the ripeness of this central Napa Valley vineyard with impeccable winemaker taste, resulting in a gorgeous wine. Will develop through this decade.
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Wine & Spirits
This is a fine vintage of Rubicon, the top wine from Francis Ford Coppola's estate, a re-integration of Gustave Niebaum's Inglenook vineyard in the western benchlands of Rutherford. It’s tight, sweet, firm and juicy, the cushion of Rutherford tannins mellowing the tension within the layers of fruit and wood. Scents of spice, sage and tangy red cherries brighten the finish. For seared duck magret.
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Wine Spectator
Rough-hewn, dense and chewy, with a complex earthy edge to the dried berry, sage, underbrush and cedar flavors. Full-bodied and well-proportioned, ending with a loamy earth aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.