Rubicon is the wine Francis Ford Coppola made after buying the old Inglenook estate with his Godfather money. It took him forty years to reassemble the original property and win back the right to use the Inglenook name, and Rubicon is the flagship of that project.
Tasting Notes
Ripe black fruit, cedar and hints of cocoa, leading to a robust, full bodied palate that captures the essence of Rutherford. The Rutherford bench is one of the most celebrated stretches of Napa Valley and is associated with a particular dusty, earthy quality in Cabernet that growers there call Rutherford dust. A Bordeaux blend rather than a varietal Cabernet, and built to age.
Quick Facts
- Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
- Origin: USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
- Style: Dry red, full bodied, Bordeaux blend, long lived
- Estate: Founded 1879, restored and reunited by Francis Ford Coppola, who recovered the Inglenook name in 2011
Food Pairing
Grilled ribeye, roast lamb, game, and aged hard cheeses.
Serving
Serve at 17 to 18°C. Decant at least an hour and a half before pouring.
About the Producer
Inglenook was founded in Rutherford in 1879 by the Finnish sea captain Gustave Niebaum and was one of the great names of Californian wine before Prohibition. The estate was broken up and the name sold off in the 20th century. Francis Ford Coppola bought the first portion in 1975, spent decades buying back the rest of the land, and finally reacquired the Inglenook name itself in 2011.
