Inglenook Rubicon 2014 (1.5L Magnum)

In 1879, Finnish explorer and adventurer Gustave Niebaum searched the Napa Valley with the goal of establishing a wine estate to rival the finest chateau of France. For decades his wines won acclaim and remain some of the most admired in American wine history’s classic period. By the mid-1960’s, his property was divided, and estate-wine production ceased.

A decade later, Francis Ford Coppola purchased 1,500 acres of this historic property and revived Captain Niebaum’s fine winemaking tradition. In 1995, Niebaum-Coppola acquired the remainder of the property and restored the Inglenook Estate to its original dimensions and the results since then have been absolutely stunning.

The 2014 vintage in particular was a standout year for all of Napa but especially for Inglenook. Wine & Spirits called it the best Rubicon ever made which may or may not have to do with this Bordeaux Blend being 96% Cabernet Sauvignon in what was a stellar year for Cab.

Just read what Robert Parker Jr. himself had to say about it below. This is a must-have large format collector’s item.

“The proprietary red, the 2014 Rubicon (96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) has a saturated black/purple color and a nose of blackberry and cassis with some camphor and charcoal. Chewy, rich and full-bodied, with exceptional precision and personality, this is a stunningly delicious and complex wine with a good 25-30 years of further potential. It is the antithesis of the rustic, somewhat coarse reds that were made under the Rubicon moniker when Francis Ford Coppola first acquired the Inglenook estate. Kudos to him for making dramatic improvements. Approachable already, this wine won’t hit its stride for another decade and will last 30 or more years.”