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. Flavours abound; intense black fruits – blackcurrant, blackberries and black cherries - combine with chocolate, cedar and smokiness. It is full-bodied and dusty tannins are evident on the teeth as you would expect from a relatively young Cabernet Sauvignon but they are in harmony with the fruit and acidity of the wine. It will develop further over the next 5 to 10 years but is lovely and smooth and is drinking beautifully now.
If you wanted a combined case of 2012 and 2013 vintages (12 bottles in total) please call me on 0333 772 0301 or email me as I will sort out pricing for you - the website can't cope with the difference in pricing between the two vintages!
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."
