Inglenook / Rubicon 1980 - 2019 Tasting Retrospective

Boston, MA
Tasted Thursday, October 2, 2025 - Friday, October 3, 2025 by RockinCabs with 65 views

Introduction

Francis Ford Coppola purchased Inglenook in 1975, and is now in his 50th year of work to reunite the pieces of the original estate, and investing in teh quality of the vineyards, and winemaking.

We sat down to review the wines made under his ownership of one of the most historic vineyard estates in America.

Flight 1 - Current Releases (3 Notes)

The global sales director joined us for dinner and brought a few of the recent releases of both the Estate Cabernet and Rubicon blend. These wines really showed the effort that has been put into bringing the 141 acre estate back to its former glory, and the material under especially the estate cabernets is really impressive. There is a natural quality here that a only a great vineyard can express.

Also served were the Blanceaux (marsanne/roussanne), and Sauvignon Blanc with a the apps and fish course.

  • 2015 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (10/2/2025)

    Nose: Floral, graphite, blackberry and plum note right away. Go back again and you find the nuances of spice, eucalyptus and licorice hiding beneath some of the inky notes out front.

    Palate: Gives a balanced impression. Fresh blackberry, cassis, cocoa and powdery Rutherford tannin. This has an intensity in the mid-palate that is beautiful, but quite clenched today.

    Finish: Tight today and not showing everything that is there. This has a long life ahead and even at 10-years post harvest I would not be dipping into these too fast.

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  • 2019 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (10/2/2025)

    Nose: Dense and powerful black cherry, mocha, spice and licorice notes that are classic markers of this vineyard. Just a touch of perceptible sweetness and glycerin, but not over the top.

    Palate: The density expresses in the palate as well with a inner mouth perfume of dusty tannin and polished black and red fruit. The oak needs to integrate a bit, but the overall impression is excellent. Needs time in the cellar

    Finish: Oak and firm tannin are at the core of the juicy young fruit here, but carries very long.

    Inglenook is back in a big way with wines like this and I really think Philippe is getting things turned in the right direction. Do not miss these wines as they are also a great value.

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  • 2018 Inglenook Rubicon 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (10/2/2025)

    Nose: Very opulent and oaky. Black cherry, espresso, mocha and oak.
    Palate: Weightly and dark cabernet, lots of powdery tannin, plum, cocoa and rich layers of fruit.
    Finish: Muted dark fruit and vanilla notes

    Let me be clear that this is a really well made wine. I just found that the oak presence, and polish that the winery gives this flagship wine a bit overdone.

    The quality of the fruit from the back blocks of the estate is on display. However, the estate cabernet has more of the raw classically Rutherford notes.

    FOLLOW UP 06/28/2026 - This bottle was not really given significant air. We were PNP on most of the wines that the winery rep brought to this dinner. A bottle shown a year later with 6+ hours of air was much more profound.

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Flight 2 - 1980-2003 (4 Notes)

When Coppola purchased the Inglenook estate and historic home only a portion of the vineyard land was included (back blocks), and the name was not included. Therefore Inglenook went through a period where Hubelin was still using the Inglenook name, but the wines under Rubicon reflected the actual historic vineyards that made the wines great.

By 1995 all of the original vineyard land would be put back together by Coppola, but it would take until 2011 to bring the name back to the Estate. This flight represents the first 30-years of Copolla's ownership of the property and some of the strong wines he was able to make in a difficult period.

  • 1980 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon 85 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (10/2/2025)

    Nose: Dark fruit, bit of brett and some sweeter macerated cherry notes. Has a touch of floral and herb as well.

    Palate: This enters with a big swath of cassis and blackberry, smooth tannin, woody notes and some cocoa. The sweeter baked/macertated fruit notes take over mid-palate and a bit of old library books in the inner mouth.

    Finish: Slightly dilute berry notes, wood barrel, and more brett presence.

    I am not going to go as far as to fall this wine flawed, but it definitely was showing the signs of age and some less than pristine wine making. The vineyard quality clearly goes up in the later part of the 80s and into the 90's as you drink through this range.

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  • 1986 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (10/2/2025)

    Nose: Black currant, blackberry, graphite, crushed stone and some sweet floral notes. This is a linear nose, and was showing great purity. Just a bit of wood shavings and herbal notes as well.

    Palate: Enters smooth and fine with black fruit, quince, licorice and herbs. Gets a nice stone and powdery tannin element in the mid palate. Comes across as the most polished of the older vintages.

    Finish: More of the black fruited notes, florals and some herb. Very fine tannin.

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  • 1995 Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (10/2/2025)

    Nose: Red and black fruited with dark cherry, cassis and some slight wood and antique furniture notes. There is eucalyptus, crushed herbs and slight florals on the nose as well. Great fruit, and nice perfumed presence.

    Palate:This has a fully resolved palate. Silky entry and shows layers of dark cherry, caramelized blackberries and silky dusty tannin. Cocoa notes and minty herbal notes in the mid/back palate.

    Finish: Good length and signature powdery Rutherford tannin. The red fruits, black cherry, and herbal eucalyptus all pop in the finish.

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  • 2003 Rubicon Estate Rubicon 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (10/2/2025)

    Nose: Classic Rutherford cabernet sauvignon explodes on the nose with soft dark cherry, cassis, cocoa, spice and graphite. This brings in some bell pepper and garden notes as well that show balance.

    Palate: Outstanding palate feel. Plush and deep fruit with nice ripe tannin, cocoa, spice, and elegant wood notes. This is a very well polished CA Cab, especially from this era and the fruit is ripe without folding over into sappy or flabby levels.

    Finish: Gives a nice dark cherry and sarsaparilla impression with spice, cedar and berry notes. Elegant and powdery tannin. Great wine.

    Well aged, mature, Rutherford cab that showcases this slice of the bench really really well. There is some bricking present and it will not live forever, but his is at a really nice place in its maturity.

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