2008 Inglenook Rubicon

The 2008 Rubicon is an attractive, fleshy wine laced with dark red cherries, spices and flowers. It is a soft, supple wine to drink now and over the next few years while the fruit retains its generous, radiant personality. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. The newly re-born Inglenook is one of the most fascinating stories unfolding in Napa Valley. Over the years Francis Ford Coppola has pieced together many of the vineyards that were part of the original Inglenook estate, where many benchmark Cabernets were made during the winery’s heyday in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. A few years ago Coppola brought on renowned Bordeaux consultant Stephane Derenoncourt to oversee the vineyards. One of Derenoncourt’s first decisions was to gradually move the vineyards to dry farming. Earlier this year, Philippe Bascaules joined the team from Chateau Margaux, where he was the Estate Manager. While it will take some time for the new team to have a real influence on quality, there is now no reason not to expect these wines to improve significantly. The last piece of the puzzle was Coppola’s purchase of the Inglenook brand itself, which will allow Coppola to return the estate to its original name. Readers interested in finding out more may want to take a look at my video interviews with Coppola and Bascaules on www.erobertparker.com Tel. (800) RUBICON