Tasting Notes
The story
The Rutherford AVA (American Viticultural Area) is renowned for its excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. 1882 was the first vintage produced by Gustave Niebaum on the Rutherford-based Inglenook estate that has been owned by Francis Ford Coppola for the last 40 years. In the same year Niebaum dug a small cave, pictured on the bottle, to understand better the ideal temperature for barrel ageing.
With this history and the estate's quality fruit and terroir rich in minerals Inglenook is well positioned to produce excellent wines with structure and elegance. This is one such wine, as is its stable mate,
Inglenook Rutherford Zinfandel Edizione Pennino.
The wine
This is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon with 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot, so effectively a Bordeaux blend in this vintage. 2013 is considered a stellar vintage with concentrated grapes producing a balanced and fragrant wine.
As with the previous vintage this wine displays the classic blackcurrant, pencil shavings and leather of Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose but it also displays a rounder wine reflecting the dry, warm vintage. Flavours abound; intense black fruits – blackcurrant, blackberries and black cherries - combine with chocolate, warm spices and a hint of smokiness. It is full-bodied and whilst in past vintages dusty tannins have been evident on the teeth in this vintage they are already well-rounded and integrated, in harmony with the fruit and acidity of the wine. This wine will develop further over the next 5 years but is lovely and smooth and is drinking beautifully now.
I have a couple of bottles of the 2012 vintage of this wine available as one bottle (gift) packs
Food Pairing
This is ideal food wine, though lovely on its own; match with beef (the rarer the better), lamb, turkey, goose and game; also a good match for mushrooms, hard cheeses and mild blue cheeses
Producer's Notes
"Our 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon 1882 is round and consistent with a velvety palate and a sense of “completeness” from the well-developed linear tannins. Highly aromatic and immediately expressive, you’ll find an alluring fragrance of plums, currants, dried cherries, cocoa, and violets followed by smooth flavors of red fruits with a hint of almond. The wine’s complexity is made even more intriguing as the wine finishes with the subtle sweetness of white chocolate.
If you choose to enjoy this vintage in its youth, we recommend decanting for 1 hour before serving, otherwise our 1882 Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to evolve and drink best in 5 to 10 years."
Awards
91 Points Vinous, Antonio Galloni Oct 2015
"The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon 1882 shows just how compelling this vintage is... Black cherries, plums, menthol, lavender and licorice flow across the palate in a dark, sumptuous wine endowed with real depth and nuance. Fleshy and supple, but with plenty of supporting acidity and vintage 2013 energy, the 1882 is a terrific introduction to the vintage. This is a very serious wine."
