History

1882 was the first vintage produced by Gustave Niebaum on the estate that would become one of the most renowned wineries in the New World – Inglenook. In the same year, Niebaum dug a small cave in the foothills of the Mayacamas to experiment and better understand temperature ideals for barrel aging. Niebaum’s vision was legendary and his inquisitive search for perfection pioneered many initiatives of the modern-day Napa Valley. Today, Inglenook lies in the heart of the famous Rutherford Bench, offering an unparalleled wealth of quality fruit, richness and minerality from this unique terroir. 1882, made exclusively from estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, has been created to honor Gustave.

Vintage Notes

Although it was one of the driest growing seasons on record, 2013 was a stellar vintage. Despite the lack of precipitation, the vines were optimized by the ideal conditions of the previous year. The crop was unusually large, requiring a thinning out of fruit on multiple occasions. But these efforts paid off. By late summer, it was apparent our Cabernet was going to be of very high quality. The resulting fruit exhibited tremendous concentration that was perfectly balanced and highly fragrant.

Winemaker Notes

Over the last few years, we’ve refined our Cabernet Sauvignon program, using smaller boxes for picking and a new destemmer that is gentler on the fruit. Likewise, during the fermentation process, we evaluate individual blocks of fruit daily to determine which will benefit from pump overs. These methods have greatly enhanced the quality of our Cabernet Sauvignon, which is why this wine is a pure varietal representation. Unlike Rubicon, which is aged exclusively in French oak, we age our 1882 Cabernet in a combination of French and American oak for 18 months, using only a small percentage of new wood.

Tasting 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.