2023 Rubicon

Inglenook’s Rubicon is a very pretty, elegant wine in 2023, marked by a lovely freshness that weaves bay laurel and sage through cherry and blackberry fruit, graphite nuances, and perfumed red and white rose notes. It is lifted and expressive from the outset. On the palate, it builds with a soft, supple character defined by ultra-fine cocoa-powder tannins so characteristic of Rutherford. There is immense elegance here, along with purity of fruit and juicy acid tension, while a gentle swell of tannin gathers on the finish. One of the best Rubicons I’ve tasted in some time.

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is soft, delicate and very pretty. It, too, has come together nicely with time in barrel. The 2023 is a relatively soft Rubicon with good upfront fruit, but it does not have the dimension or power of the most complex years—that much is pretty evident.

Slated to be bottled in May 2025, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. It's a darker-fruited vintage, with scents of mocha, black cherries, black olives and earthy notes on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate is richly textured, showing great intensity and ample tannins on the lingering finish.