Inglenook Rubicon 2021

Opulent fruit that has lots of personality and ripeness as well as lots of leathery character, showing both the fruit-driven and the savoury side of Napa. Finishes with tar and petrichor on the long, expressive finish.

Attractive and compelling nose of dark cherries, currants, spiced plums, grilled herbs, barkcedar and baking spices. Hints of toasted oak. It’s medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Layered and well-structured with a delicate character on the palate. Such poise with a precise and complex, developing finish. An amazing wine with balance and harmony with great length. Better after 2026.

This delivers ripe and showy cassis, plum puree and boysenberry compote aromas and flavors laced liberally with black licorice and ganache hints. A cedary accent underscores the dense, fleshy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2042. 4,275 cases made.

Intense, powerful and concentrated, full of dark brambled fruits, with cocoa bean, smoked almonds, espresso, a series of tiny pulses of crushed rock minerality. Captures the power of Rutherford without sacrificing finesse or pleasure, just a gorgeous wine that is so easy to fall in love with. The muscular tannins need a few year before fully opening, and could be held back in bottle for a decade or more, or ensure a good long carafe. Todd Devincenzi director, Philippe Bascaules winemaker.

Even better than I recall from barrel, the nose of Inglenook's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon (which includes a small amount of Cabernet Franc and an even smaller portion of Merlot) emerges from the glass as a harmonious melody of baking spices—cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom—and ripe cherries. Showing terrific intensity and a plentitude of fine-grained tannins, this medium to full-bodied wine should age well for at least two decades.

The 2021 vintage of Ingelnook's icon red Rubicon blends Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), Cabernet Franc (9%), and Merlot (4%) primarily from their Rutherford Bench estate parcels and is aged in 100% new French oak. The nose on this flagship wine is decidedly dark and expressive, with ripe, pure black fruit and liquorice aromas. Full-bodied with juicy black cherry, plum, and pomegranate fruit flavours on the palate framed by super fine, velvety, and integrated tannins with a very long, refreshing finish—including notes of blood orange and excellent mineral tension—that goes and goes and goes.