{"product_id":"niebaum-coppola-rubicon-rutherford-2003-1-5l","title":"Niebaum-Coppola - Rubicon Rutherford 2003 (1.5L)","description":"\u003cp\u003e2003 Rubicon Estate \"Rubicon\" Rutherford Bordeaux Blend\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e2003 Niebaum Coppola Rubicon Proprietary Red There have been numerous changes and refinements to the style of Niebaum-Coppola's proprietary red wine, Rubicon. Over a decade ago I wrote that this was a wine that acted as if it wanted to be an old-fashioned Barolo, with its rustic tannin and abrasive flavor profile. That has all changed in the nineties, as the wine has begun to take on a more supple texture, with less aggressive tannin, and a flavorful but more complete and elegant personality. The blend has gradually increased to over 90% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged in small French oak casks for two years, of which approximately 50% is new. There is no fining, but the wine is sterile filtered at bottling. Looking at vintages 1991 through 1994, each subsequent vintage seems to possess more intensity and character, with increasingly softer tannin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eProfessional Reviews\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e93 points Wine \u0026amp; Spirits\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRubicon is the top wine from Gustave Niebaum's classic Inglenook Vineyard in the benchlands of the Mayacamas at Rutherford, managed for decades by his nephew, John Daniel, and ultimately reassembled in its current form by Francis Ford Coppola. The 2003 is rich in luscious tannins, with a deep cherry essence, a dynamic flavor with the herbal edge of a great Rutherford Cabernet. It's plush and delicious, a fine performance in the uneven weather conditions of 2003. (10\/2007)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e91 points Connoisseurs Guide\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis very rich and well-extracted Cabernet takes a different path than the winery's \"Cask\" bottling whereas it is a tighter, more tannic, altogether sturdier wine built with an eye to long-term development. Even now, however, it offers up lots of keenly defined cassis and black cherry fruit, and that fruit is still around after its finishing toughness has subsided. It needs a quiet place in the cellar and should rest for seven or eight years, but given the ability of its predecessors to improve, it should be in fine shape for a decade or two. (08\/2007)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e91 points Int'l Wine Cellar\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAromas of plum, currant, spice box, mocha and tobacco leaf are distinctly Old World. Ripe, creamy and rich, with a pliant texture and expressive flavors of currant, sweet plum and tobacco. Finishes ripely tannic, spicy and long, with hints of fresh herbs and chocolate. A lovely 2003, and a great success for this winery. (ST, 05\/2007)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Logan, Niebaum-Coppola","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54005925052640,"sku":"132307","price":334.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0649\/9713\/0464\/files\/niebaum-coppola-rubicon-rutherford_1_07e52ffd-f1f0-4535-ad0c-0967f9a9be94.jpg?v=1786653237","url":"https:\/\/www.mywineconnection.com\/products\/niebaum-coppola-rubicon-rutherford-2003-1-5l","provider":"My Wine Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}