Niebaum Coppola 2001 Rubicon
Various holidays always seem to creep up and recently my brother-in-law Steve came over for dinner and brought a wonderful bottle of wine from his cellar, a Niebaum Coppola 2001 Rubicon. Rubicon is the image of what was once the historic Inglenook property located in the heart of the western Rutherford Bench in Napa Valley’s prime Cabernet Sauvignon appellation. In 1975, Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased a majority of the Inglenook Estate and introduced the Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery with the plan to revitalize its Cabernet heritage. In 1978 Coppola’s plan became a reality and launched the first Rubicon vintage that became the Winery’s flagship wine. Much later in 1995, the Coppolas purchased the remaining part of the property, including the Inglenook Chateau, which restored the Estate to its historic dimensions (I guess he made him an offer he couldn’t refuse!). Coppola said “In America, so few things that are broken apart are ever put back together. Reuniting this property was truly a dream come true, both for my family and for Napa Valley.” In 2011, The Coppolas acquired the iconic Inglenook trademark and Coppola announced that henceforth, his celebrated Estate would be known by its historic original name, Inglenook.
Opening up the 2001 Rubicon, I noticed wonderful aromas of dried fruit with subtle scents of herb and vanilla notes escaping from the bottle. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Rubicon is aged in oak for 30 months. Pouring a glass I noticed a very deep purple color without any obvious signs of bottle age. A first sip told me to decant for a while as the wine needed to open up and develop. After about 45 minutes, we tasted the wine and it was amazing. The flavors of ripe black cherries complemented by layers of berry fruit bounced around the palate. The wine was smooth and balanced with supple tannins present. A Magnificent wine that I am not sure has any more room to get better. I would expect this wine to last a few more years, but if you are lucky enough to have a bottle, lift the cork and enjoy a glass. I cannot imagine if any bottles are around to pick up, but I am sure it would fetch well over $100. Rubicon, the ultimate in Sipping Fine Wine.
Cheers!