2008 Rubicon

The newly re-born Inglenook is one of the most fascinating stories unfolding in Napa Valley. Over the years Francis Ford Coppola has pieced together many of the vineyards that were part of the original Inglenook estate, where many benchmark Cabernets were made during the winery's heyday in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. A few years ago Coppola brought on renowned Bordeaux consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt to oversee the vineyards. One of Derenoncourt's first decisions was to gradually move the vineyards to dry farming. Earlier this year, Philippe Bascaules joined the team from Château Margaux, where he was the Estate Manager. While it will take some time for the new team to have a real influence on quality, there is now no reason not to expect these wines to improve significantly. The last piece of the puzzle was Coppola's purchase of the Inglenook brand itself, which will allow Coppola to return the estate to its original name. Readers interested in finding out more may want to take a look at my video interviews with Coppola and Bascaules.