Inglenook Rubicon Napa Rutherford 2018

Vintage: 2018

. Original price: . Final price: $234.99

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, but best after 2022.

Rated 97/100 James Suckling

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is based on a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s a more backward, closed wine, offering classy notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, freshly crushed stone, and cedar. More medium to full-bodied and elegant, I’d like to see a touch more density and richness on the mid-palate, but it's beautifully balanced, has gorgeous tannins, integrated acidity, and outstanding length on the finish. Give this classic, impressive, old school beauty 4-5 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following 15-20.

Rated 95/100 Jeb Dunnuck

 

Professional Scores

94

This vintage has 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Refined and elegantly structured, it offers notes of currant, cedar and espresso, the tannins thick and firm. The savory concentration has an Old World charm and restraint with well-integrated oak. Enjoy best from 2028–2038. Virginie Boone

Wine Enthusiast

93

Wine-Searcher collates scores from a wide range of critics, from influential single palates like Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson to publications like Wine Spectator, all adjusted for the 100-point scale.

Wine-Searcher Aggregate Score

94

This vintage has 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Refined and elegantly structured, it offers notes of currant, cedar and espresso, the tannins thick and firm. The savory concentration has an Old World charm and restraint with well-integrated oak. Enjoy best from 2028–2038. Virginie Boone

Wine Enthusiast

750ml