The 2017 Rubicon is a wine with depth, breadth and great allure.
After the first sip, an exciting complexity unfolds, enhancing its expressiveness.
The nose is full of ripe red and black fruit aromas such as raspberry, American cherry, and black currant.
It has a seamless smooth mouthfeel and fine, refined tannins.
The long-lasting finish has refreshing aromas of creme de cassis and cocoa powder.
The winter and spring of 2017 brought ample rainfall, a total of about 1270mm, which allowed for very smooth flowering and fruit set.
The grapes used for the 2017 Rubicon are selected from the finest quality fruit from our own organically grown vineyards.
The Merlot was harvested on August 31st, the Cabernet Sauvignon began on September 5th and concluded with the Cabernet Franc on September 28th.
There is a well-balanced acidity throughout, with a clear freshness to the final blend.
Inglenook Vineyard was founded in 1879 by Gustav Niebaum.
Gustav, a Finnish man, used his immense wealth to bring European vineyards to Napa.
Over the next few decades, under the direction of the legendary John Daniel, the estate produced some of its most acclaimed wines.
But by the time Francis Coppola and his wife Eleanor purchased part of the property in 1975, the Inglenook name had been sold and the winery had folded.
Over a period of 20 years, the Coppolas gradually bought back vineyards that had been sold, invested in winemaking equipment, and renovated the historic Inglenook Château.
Today, Inglenook has been restored to its original state and is once again one of America's great wineries.
Then, in April 2011, Francis Ford Coppola acquired the trademark rights to Napa's iconic winery, Inglenook, from The Wine Group.
From this point on, Rubicon Estate, a renowned Napa Valley winery, will be reborn under its historic name, Inglenook.
Starting in the same year, Inglenook has been brewed by winemaker Philippe Bascaules, who spent more than 20 years working under the late Paul Pontallier, director of Chateau Margaux, one of France's first-growth Bordeaux chateaux.
Bascaules has a degree in agriculture and completed graduate studies in enology in Montpellier.
From March 2017, Philippe Bascaules will take on the dual roles of Managing Director of Château Margaux and Director of Winemaking at Inglenook.
Inglenook's flagship proprietary wine, Rubicon, will retain its name and Bascaules, a winemaker in the Old World style, will lead a winemaking team dedicated to this great New World wine, Rubicon.
Bascaules works closely with Stéphane Durnoncourt, a renowned winemaking consultant from Pomerol, to develop the wine.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, now known as the second wine, a new third wine called "I882" is also being produced.
In addition, Sauvignon Blanc, which was recently planted on the premises, has been added to the lineup starting with the 2013 vintage, and we are looking forward to seeing further developments in the future.