Inglenook : Rubicon 2020

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. According to winemaking consultant Chris Phelps, nothing picked after September 27 (the day the Glass Fire ignited) went into the final blend. The wine is marked by the season's heat, with dark chocolate nuances layered over notes of charred cedar, cassis, and black cherries. This full-bodied effort is concentrated and long, but it does exhibit a slightly coarse texture.

Steeped plum and blackberry fruit offer up-front appeal, with enough depth to nearly soak up the slightly woodsy, toothy structure that's typical of the vintage. Chaparral, alder and licorice notes fill in along the way. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2034. 2,150 cases made.

Ripe and heady on the nose, full and generously aromatic. Supple and forward, with lovely energy and poise at first despite being quite powerful and potent. The tannins are currently slightly present and drying, a little tight, and something constricts the mid-palate onwards, with the texture dominating the more fruit-forward elements and creating a bit of a barrier to enjoyment. Mineral, stony, flinty and pencil-lead notes linger. Aged 20 months in French oak, 75% new. Winemaker Philippe Bascaules.

So perfumed with lavender, violets, bark and blackcurrants. Some mint and spearmint. It’s medium- to full-bodied with integrated tannins and a gorgeous finish. Lovely finesse and texture. This is extremely well done for a 2020. So drinkable now. Drink or hold.

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a heady wine. It offers up copious super-ripe dark red fruit and plenty of tannin. The Rubicon has a bit better balance than the Cabernet Sauvignon, and yet the challenges of the year are nevertheless evident. There's good up-front presence, but that tapers off pretty quickly, exposing harsh tannins on the mid-palate and finish.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening on the edge. Ethereal nuances of aniseed and peppermint, mixed with fresh blackcurrants, fully ripe blackberries, dark nougat and fine oak. Deep, opulent and juicy, pronounced in fruit texture, ripe tannins, cherries on the finish, already accessible, a full-bodied food wine, has charm and a hedonistic style.

Austere on the opening beats, still closed down at this point; let it take a few breaths before the tannic frame opens up. The concentration and spice of the vintage thread through the black Cabernet fruits, shot through with grilled sandalwood, cocoa bean, tea, cigar box and cloves, underscoring the concentration and power of this magical site. The winemaking team, led by director Philippe Bascaules, has teased out nuance and freshness alongside, with pomegranate and oyster shell adding a rising arc of juice through the finish. As ever, it is hard to resist. Francis Ford Coppola, owner. Aged in French oak barrels, 75% new.

The 2020 Rubicon, 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, is deep garnet-purple in color. It tumbles out of the glass with gregarious notions of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and warm cassis, followed by hints of graphite, dried mint, and tar with a hint of licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is bright and vivacious, with bags of red and black berry layers and gorgeous tension, supported by fine-grained tannins, and finishing on a lingering anise note. Impressive showing for this challenging vintage!