Dark hue and nose of dark fruits, herbs, spices & lavenders and licorice and plum spice. The fruit is excreted and rigid tannins roughly pulling through the dark, drying fruit. It comes together the mid palate where the fat fruit and spices blent to a powerful, long finish. What it lacks in elegance, it makes up in mouth coating flavor with a lot going on but comes together. Very enjoyable
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Needed time in the glass to come together. Initially rough texture and somewhat disjoined. However, after 20 - 30 minutes, everything comes together and results in an extremely satisfying wine. Medium dark garnet hue. Nose of cocoa, flowers, crushed rock, spices and tobacco. Still evolving - with dark, somewhat bitter - slightly astringent / racy fruit, drying tannins and tannic finish. Not the most elegant but interesting and enjoyable.
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This wine has to decant for at least an hour to bring out its essence. Inglenook adds Cab Francs to their Cabernet Casks and Rubicons to bring out the body. This is a wine best appreciated by realizing what its potential is... a wine for the aficiando.
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Rubicon has some outstanding cabs and cab francs. I know whenever I open a bottle that is ready to drink that I will not be disappointed. Excellent finish and texture. Love it
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A really good wine here. I tasted this after significant decanting at about room temp. In Appearance, the wine was a clear, medium+ ruby with long, thin legs. The Nose was clean with a medium+ intensity and aromas of potpourri, dark fruits of raspberries, and bing cherries, an herbaceous note of anise, slightly medicinal, and some dried characteristics, like dried leaves and a touch of cedar. The Palate was dry with fairly full (Medium+) body and alcohol. This is a big wine for a cab franc--reminiscent of a right-bank. The acidity is very spritely (medium+) and the tannins are quite firm as well (med+.) This is a wine with a lot of structure. Quite mouth-filling. The flavors are typical--crushed petals, dark fruit, like cherries, notes of mocha and dark chocolate, just a tinge of smoky cedar and tobacco. A long finish here. Really, a lovely, intense wine. I can see why some would say it needs to age, but I really prefer the power of this wine as it is--great concentration or flavor.
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I did a sit-down tasting at the winery and I wanted to take something away that I thought was rather unique--and that I could afford! This was it. I'm not sure how long it had open, but it was quite supple and firm at the same time. It has just a little Cab Sauv (3%) adding to the firmness and it was aged in mostly French Oak, which really gives it more of a right-bank feel and texture. It drinks now, but it could also do with a little age (a year or two) as well due to its tannic structure.
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Holy tannin bomb. This one could use more time. Even after an hour out of the bottle it was very astringent. Good nose and smooth but slightly thin mouthfeel, but it was hard not to curl the sides of my tongue. Perhaps will fair better with tomorrow's meal. Will rest the new vintage far longer...
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7/11/2019 - synfinatic Does not like this wine:
Turned bad. Drank too late.
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4/24/2016 - D3S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice nose, dark color, dark fruit with notes of spice, balanced with strong finish.
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3/19/2016 - Eags25 wrote: 90 Points
Dark hue and nose of dark fruits, herbs, spices & lavenders and licorice and plum spice. The fruit is excreted and rigid tannins roughly pulling through the dark, drying fruit. It comes together the mid palate where the fat fruit and spices blent to a powerful, long finish. What it lacks in elegance, it makes up in mouth coating flavor with a lot going on but comes together. Very enjoyable
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11/8/2015 - Eags25 wrote: 89 Points
Needed time in the glass to come together. Initially rough texture and somewhat disjoined. However, after 20 - 30 minutes, everything comes together and results in an extremely satisfying wine. Medium dark garnet hue. Nose of cocoa, flowers, crushed rock, spices and tobacco. Still evolving - with dark, somewhat bitter - slightly astringent / racy fruit, drying tannins and tannic finish. Not the most elegant but interesting and enjoyable.
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7/27/2014 - sonodoc wrote: 88 Points
A little disappointing. Still quite tannic. Earthy taste with limited fruit. Perhaps needed a longer decant.
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3/22/2014 - Trolson wrote: 91 Points
Very good wine. And, I would recommend decanting for at least two hours. More subtle flavors opened up later.
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11/9/2013 - bterry3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine has to decant for at least an hour to bring out its essence. Inglenook adds Cab Francs to their Cabernet Casks and Rubicons to bring out the body. This is a wine best appreciated by realizing what its potential is... a wine for the aficiando.
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9/1/2013 - Badgermitch wrote: 89 Points
this bottle needed at least an hour to decant. Nice CF
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12/24/2012 - iPjxl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rubicon has some outstanding cabs and cab francs. I know whenever I open a bottle that is ready to drink that I will not be disappointed. Excellent finish and texture. Love it
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4/19/2012 - GlassHalfFull wrote: 91 Points
Nothing happening on opening. Came to life at hour 2+. Cherries, chocolate and coffee. Lengthy drying finish. This really is tasting well now...
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4/18/2012 - ravbik wrote: 90 Points
In a good place now. Good medium depth berries. Best to decant for one hour. Did not do well the next day.
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3/30/2012 - bordeaux4wino Likes this wine: 92 Points
A really good wine here. I tasted this after significant decanting at about room temp.
In Appearance, the wine was a clear, medium+ ruby with long, thin legs.
The Nose was clean with a medium+ intensity and aromas of potpourri, dark fruits of raspberries, and bing cherries, an herbaceous note of anise, slightly medicinal, and some dried characteristics, like dried leaves and a touch of cedar.
The Palate was dry with fairly full (Medium+) body and alcohol. This is a big wine for a cab franc--reminiscent of a right-bank. The acidity is very spritely (medium+) and the tannins are quite firm as well (med+.) This is a wine with a lot of structure. Quite mouth-filling. The flavors are typical--crushed petals, dark fruit, like cherries, notes of mocha and dark chocolate, just a tinge of smoky cedar and tobacco. A long finish here.
Really, a lovely, intense wine. I can see why some would say it needs to age, but I really prefer the power of this wine as it is--great concentration or flavor.
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10/7/2011 - lumpyelbow wrote:
Napa 2011; 10/6/2011-10/9/2011 (Napa Valley, California): Great lift. The oak is swaddled to increase complexity. Dark and warm with some exotic notes. Firm tannin, dry but not drying. Smoked meat. A favourite of mine.
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7/17/2011 - bordeaux4wino Likes this wine: 90 Points
I did a sit-down tasting at the winery and I wanted to take something away that I thought was rather unique--and that I could afford! This was it. I'm not sure how long it had open, but it was quite supple and firm at the same time. It has just a little Cab Sauv (3%) adding to the firmness and it was aged in mostly French Oak, which really gives it more of a right-bank feel and texture. It drinks now, but it could also do with a little age (a year or two) as well due to its tannic structure.
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10/12/2010 - srwatters wrote: 88 Points
Holy tannin bomb. This one could use more time. Even after an hour out of the bottle it was very astringent. Good nose and smooth but slightly thin mouthfeel, but it was hard not to curl the sides of my tongue. Perhaps will fair better with tomorrow's meal. Will rest the new vintage far longer...
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8/14/2010 - BigBoy_Sonoma Likes this wine: 89 Points
Red cherry, tobacco, saw dust and dry toasted oak. This was a B+ wine.
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