- 98 points -

A blockbuster California red wine with aromas of dark fruit, cigar box, violets and dried herbs. Perfect on its own or with grilled meats. Decant for 1-2 hours.

- 98 points -

This is absolutely delicious. Powerful, intense and concentrated with seductive black cherry and raspberry leaf aromatics. It slowly and steadily pulls you in and compares to the very greatest Cabernets in its excitement, structure and grip. As the liquorice, chocolate and cassis notes stretch out, it comes to a mouthwateringly slow conclusion. This keeps the savoury edge of Cabernet and the tannins give focus and poise. Opulent and concentrated, and very good. 100% new oak.

- 98 points -

Supple, generous and supremely well textured with chalky but fine tannins supporting the rich blackcurrant and cherry fruit. I love the cool blue fruit sensation also, this feels well worked and differently stylistically than many other Napa wines. A sense of refinement here, delicate yet still vibrant and confident. A clear difference between this and the normal bottling. Chewy and ripe with floral fragrance, some milk chocolate elements, caramel, coffee, sweet strawberries, herbal raspberries, liquorice and tobacco - such a lot going on here, but you can feel all the nuance and detail. An excellent wine worth seeking out. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Ageing 20 months in French oak (74%) new.

- 97 points -

A lovely enticing nose filled with rich plum, fig and blackcurrant fruits - heady and opulent. The palate is precise with a distinct texture, certainly dense and ripe but the flavours just settle on the tongue giving spiced touches of liquorice but allowing the freshness and acidity to underpin the overall taste. It feels very carefully constructed with everything in place allowing power and generality but neatly packaged and not overdone. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Wines are aged for 18 months in 100% French oak, 76% new.

- 97 points -

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon emerges from the back part of the property, which lies on the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. Here the wines are dense, powerful and structured. That is exactly what comes through in the 2013. Layers of dark fruit built into a crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures laced with mocha, espresso, gravel and dark spice overtones. The new oak that was so prominent at the outset has begun to integrate and in so doing is allowing the fruit to come through to a greater degree than in the past. This is a tremendous showing for the 2013 Rubicon.

- 97 points -

The clarity and precision to this wine are phenomenal with blackcurrants, floral notes, blueberries, and orange peel. Complex and subtle with grace and stature. Full body, ultra-polished and refined tannins and bright acidity. The wine needs three to four years to open on the palate, but already it has a caressing quality to it.

- 97 points -

#64 - Top American Wines of 2018

This is a powerful and structured red with full body, focused and polished tannins and a long and flavorful finish. It’s very close to the great 2013. A blend of 93 per cent cabernet sauvignon and seven per cent cabernet franc...

- 97 points -

Aromas of ripe berries, sweet vanilla, licorice, dark chocolate and bread crust. Notes of dried herbs and pinewood, too. So well grounded. Smooth, with a lingering, silky mouth-feel. Full body and ripe, chewy tannins. Toned and muscular with hints of crushed rocks. Firm, linear finish. Try after 2025.

- 97 points -

With a grip of currant, dried herb, sage and cedar, this youthful wine is structured, elegant and tremendously ageworthy. Bright throughout in vibrant acidity, it is sophisticated in style, with an earthiness that endures, showcasing the incredible potential that continues to be realized from the organically farmed estate. Enjoy best from 2029–2034. This blends 81% Cabernet Sauvignon with 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

- 97 points -

Subtle and complex red with blackberry, black truffle, sweet tobacco and mahogany. Highlights of lavender and violets. Full-bodied and very tight with finesse and tension. Very polished, fine tannins. Long finish. Delicious already...

- 97 points -

Aromas of blackcurrants, dark chocolate and dried flowers. Very aromatic. Full body, velvety tannins and impressive intensity and richness. Opulent fruit, yet this is still lightly austere and velvety. A beauty every sense of the word. Harmonious, classic wine.

- 96 points -

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a dark, exotic beauty. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, and menthol make a strong opening statement as this bold, sumptuous wine shows off its personality. Radiant, supple and super-expressive, the 2015 is just as enjoyable as it has always been. The 2015 is just starting to open up, but it remains very, very young. Time in the glass brings out an attractive floral component that adds lift.

- 95 points -

Aromas of walnut, dark berry and dark chocolate follow through to a full body, with super integrated tannins and a long and focused finish. Wonderful balance and finesse...

- 95 points -

This shows a wonderful core of ripe fruit with berry and currant character. Hints of spices and tobacco. Some cedar. Full-bodied, creamy and rich. Fresh. Beautiful length.

- 95 points -

The aromas of tar, spice, black currant, blueberry and cedar follow through to a full body with ultra-polished tannins and pointed flavors. Exceptional balance and finesse. Better in 2019 but already gorgeous.

- 95 points -

Philippe Bascuales worked for two decades with Paul Pontallier at Château Margaux before coming to Inglenook in 2011 (since Pontallier passed away this past spring, Bascuales has returned to Château Margaux, and is now directing both the Bordeaux property and this Rutherford estate). The pace at which he has transformed the wines is nothing less than astonishing, as if the force of this great Napa Valley site had been waiting to be unleashed. It’s not that the wines were troubled in recent vintages; more that they followed the contemporary Napa Valley story of quality being the pinnacle achievement. The 2008, for example, was “sweet, firm and juicy,” with tannins that cushioned the fruit, earning 93 points when I tasted it for the magazine. Bascaules has begun to bring back the voice of the property, a collection of vineyards in the western benchlands of Rutherford, reassembled by Francis Ford Coppola in the pattern of Gustave Niebaum’s original estate. This is the kind of land that made Napa Valley famous. And this is the kind of wine I want to drink. It has the freshness of ripe cabernet sauvignon, with none of the darker, dimpled tones of hyperripe fruit, presenting a delicate red berry scent and the gracious refinement of Rutherford tannins. Some of our tasters reacted to the new oak on the wine, the touch of creaminess French oak brings to the texture, even as they admitted that it was handled with restraint and that the wine showed some tension. The oak is not an issue for me, as the youthful fruit sings through any vessel used to age it, with the message of great vintages to come.

- 94 points -

Owner Francis Ford Coppola has a gem with winemaker Chris Phelps, formerly of Swanson Vineyards, Dominus and Petrus. He joined in 2016, working with Château Margaux’s Philippe Bascaules to reshape winemaking here. The Cabs are fresher, more elegant and balanced; this 2015 is fleshy and generous, without being extracted.

- 94 points -

Unquestionably a deep, dense, rich, massively structured and concentrated red from the newly-renamed Inglenook estate, formerly Niebaum-Coppola. Flavours are fixed in the dark fruit/black berry world, with layers of high quality oak expressed as sweet baking spice and tobacco leaf, almost port-like ripeness and good to very good length. The acidity is, amazingly enough, sufficient to balance this massive ensemble, and I'd suspect this needs another 3-6 years to enter into a more mature, interesting drinking range. Impressive in any case. - John Szabo

- 94 points -

Notes of briary plum, blackcurrant, dried herbs, graphite and rich soil introduce an elegant, open-knit and nicely balanced wine with fine tannins, juicy acidity and good length through the finish. This has more depth at the core than the 2013 rendition: a step in the right direction for a terroir which has the potential to produce one of Napa Valley's greatest wines.

- 94 points -

Tiny amounts of Merlot and Petit Verdot were added to this succulent, elegant wine with cassis, cranberry and black cherry flavors and rounded structure. A light note of cocoa dust and soft texture balance its exotically spiced lushness with delicious integration.

- 93 points -

Ripe and focused, this takes an understated approach with a core of juicy dark plum and red currant preserves, lacing them liberally with dusty earth, singed alder and sweet tobacco. Delivers nice drive through the finish, which stays firmly grounded in its terroir. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

- 93 points -

A solid wine for the 2011 vintage with bright and vivid aromas of blackberry, black currant, spice and walnut character. Full body, silky and refined. Shows poise and beauty for the lighter 2011 vintage. Drink or hold.

- 93 points -

A classy effort that is rich and layered, restrained and structured, showing fine tension between the dried currant, cedar, cigar box and anise flavors and the firm, fine-grained tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Drink now through 2023. 3,700 cases made. –JL

- 92 points -

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon impresses for its immediacy. Juicy red berries, mint, flowers and crushed rocks are all vibrant and beautifully delineated. Today, the 2011 is quite fresh and fruit-driven, almost surprisingly so, yet all the elements are in place. Firm, grippy tannins support the finish, but this essentially a forward, open wine to drink over the next decade or so. All things considered, the 2011 Rubicon is impressive.