2013 Inglenook Rubicon

97 POINTS

James Suckling

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

James Suckling

An aromatic and complex red with currant, white-chocolate and rose-petal character. Full-bodied, tight and polished. Fine and long. Beautiful now but will improve in time.

97 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

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.

95 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is dark, supple and super-expressive. It shows higher ripeness and a stronger oak imprint than the Cabernet Sauvignon. Even so, it has aged very well. Dark plum, espresso, licorice, sweet spice and a kiss of toasted French oak lend notable complexity throughout. In this tasting, ripeness and new oak feel accented, certainly more so than when this wine was younger.

94 POINTS

Virginie Boone - Wine Enthusiast

This vintage of the famous proprietary wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, a testament to how much the winemakers loved the variety on its own in this year. Root beer, cola and red plum notes make up its core of flavor, the texture velvety-soft. With its firm structure and clove accents, it will benefit from further time in bottle. Enjoy 2023–2033.

93 POINTS

Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon, which is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, has a deep ruby/purple color, is somewhat compact and closed. The wine reveals good fruit and seems tightly knit, but not terribly expressive. Coincidence or not, in tasting over 3,000 of the top wines in 2013 this wine is at one of the lowest alcohol levels of the of any of the wines - at 13.8%. Drink now-2025.

93 POINTS

Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Inglenook's 2013 Rubicon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured in French oak (75% new). It's minty and cedary up front, marked by slightly sappy notes and ripe cherries. Aristocratic and firmly structured, it's medium to full-bodied, tannic yet silky, with terrific length on the finish. It appears to be just entering its drinking window, with the ability to evolve positively for a decade or more.

93 POINTS

Andrew Jefford - Decanter

Dark black-red in colour, with brooding but alluring aromas (quiet black fruits framed with the scents of spice, of the forest, of cool earth).  On the palate, this is dry, vivid and elegant.  The fruit flavours are precise and almost zesty, hinting at currant, pomegranate and citrus rather than the exuberant plum or lush blackberry more typical of the Napa, while the tannins are refined, fine-grained and stealthy — not quite cashmere, but certainly suede.  Give it time to unfold.