2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask

Inglenook continues to be one of the great turnarounds in Napa Valley over the last few years. Philippe Bascaule has done a terrific job in honing on quality while re-establishing a more classic style by picking earlier and refining the approach to cooperage. Today, there are essentially three Cabernets; the flagship Rubicon emerges from parcels at the back of the property that have historically been the most prized, while the straight Cabernet Sauvignon (formerly known as Cask) draws on parcels throughout the estate, but tends to focus on the front side of the property. Inglenook's 2012s continue to develop positively, while the 2013s capture all of the potential I sensed when I tasted them from barrel last year. In addition to the bottled wines, I also tasted two 2014s that express the linear energy of the vintage nicely. Those wines suggest quality is still on the rise.

Winemaker Philippe Bascaules continues to ratchet up quality at Inglenook. The 2011s are solid across the board, quite an achievement as harvest was already under way when Bascaules arrived from Chateaux Margaux that fall. Production is about 50% of normal, but the wines are quite pretty. Beginning in 2012, Inglenook has a new entry-level Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Cask and Rubicon Cabernets show improvement. Among the biggest changes Bascaules has implemented are earlier harvest dates and less new oak. I can imagine some readers may be put off by the heavy commercial feel of the Inglenook winery, but these are increasingly serious wines that merit attention.

Trial by fire. That certainly applies to Inglenook's new winemaker, Philippe Bascaules, who arrived during the 2011 harvest from Chateau Margaux. Production is way down. Inglenook bottled 4,500 cases of the flagship Rubicon rather than the more customary 7,000. Although Inglenook's 2011s are strong, with the 2012 this venerable estate takes a big leap forward, something that was reinforced as I revisited the 2010s, wines that in comparison to the 2011s and 2012s come across as very extracted. The 2012s are strikingly beautiful, but very young and almost raw in their sheer power. In 2012 the Cask and Rubicon Cabernets are more similar in style and close in terms of quality than in the recent past, which Bascaules attributes to the overall quality of the year. Today Inglenook is harvesting a bit earlier than in the past and the wines are being made more gently, especially when it comes to extractions. Owner Francis Ford Coppola and his new team led by viticultural consultant Stephane Derenoncourt and Bascaules have done a fabulous job with these wines. For more on Inglenook, readers may want to check out my video interviews with Coppola and Bascaules, both shot in October 2011.