Inglenook 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley 750ml

This is Inglenook's classic varietal expression of Cabernet Sauvignon — distinct from the estate's flagship Rubicon blend, though sourced from the same historic Rutherford ground. Gustave Niebaum completed the winery in 1887, and it remains, to this day, the oldest bonded winery in California, sitting in the heart of the Rutherford Bench, where mountain runoff has built deep, well-drained alluvial soils that push vine roots deep into the earth and give the region's wines their signature structure and complexity.

The 2019 vintage blends 96% Cabernet Sauvignon with 4% Cabernet Franc, and the critical reception has been genuinely outstanding across every major publication. James Suckling awarded 95 Points, describing "notes of ripe blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of licorice, cloves, walnuts and chocolate," full-bodied with "a velvety tannin structure," calling it "smooth and delicious" with "very pure fruit." Vinous scored it 94 Points, calling it "one of the most potent wines I have tasted from Inglenook in a long time," with "a rush of black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice and leather" building as the wine opens with aeration — advising patience, since "the grippy tannins need time to soften." Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine Spectator each landed at 92 Points, with Wine Advocate finding "vibrant notes of crushed black raspberries, black plums and blackcurrant pastilles," Wine Enthusiast calling it "earthy and high-toned... elegant and structured," and Wine Spectator noting "a nice sweet bay leaf hint, followed quickly by singed cedar and loam," predicting the wine "should age nicely" with a recommended window from 2024 through 2034.

Inglenook's own winemaker notes describe a "stunningly deep ruby" wine opening with "heady aromas of brambly black cherry, vanilla, warm brioche, and crème de cassis." As the wine warms in the glass, "notes of red cherry, graphite and fennel emerge," carried by "very polished, refined tannins" into "a long, fragrant finish" — "layered flavors, good tension, and a perfect integration of wine and oak interact to create this classic expression of Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon." This is a genuinely serious, historically rooted Rutherford Cabernet, five critics deep into agreement on its quality.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Inglenook was founded in Rutherford, Napa Valley, when Gustave Niebaum completed his winery in 1887, making it the oldest bonded winery in California to this day. The estate sits within the Rutherford Bench, an uplands stretch bordering the Mayacamas Mountains, where mountain runoff has created deep, well-drained alluvial soils that give the region's Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends their characteristic structure, dusty earth and dried herb fragrances, and lush, fine-grained tannins.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, crafted as Inglenook's classic varietal expression, distinct from the estate's flagship Rubicon bottling. Bottled at 14.2% ABV.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 95 Points:
"This shows notes of ripe blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of licorice, cloves, walnuts and chocolate. It has full body and a velvety tannin structure. Juicy and vibrant fruit on the palate with a touch of earthiness. Smooth and delicious. Long, fruity finish. Very pure fruit. Try after 2024."

Vinous — 94 Points:
"The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most potent wines I have tasted from Inglenook in a long time. Readers should be patient, as the 2019 is a mere infant. A rush of black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice and leather builds as this sumptuous, towering wine gradually opens with a bit of aeration. I would give the 2019 at least a few years in bottle, as the grippy tannins need time to soften."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate — 92 Points:
"The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs from the glass with vibrant notes of crushed black raspberries, black plums and blackcurrant pastilles, plus hints of underbrush and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied with intense, pure black fruit flavors, the fruit is well-framed by ripe, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with a skip in its step."

Wine Enthusiast — 92 Points:
"Earthy and high-toned, this elegant and structured wine was blended with 4% Cabernet Franc. Supple in tannin and well integrated in oak, it finishes in a floral touch of violet."

Wine Spectator — 92 Points:
"Leads with a nice sweet bay leaf hint, followed quickly by singed cedar and loam before the core of reserved red and black currant fruit finally starts to unfold. Warm earth-framed finish. A touch old school, with some muscular character. This should age nicely." Best from 2024 through 2034.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Stunningly deep ruby in color. Brambly black cherry, vanilla, warm brioche, and crème de cassis lead, joined by ripe blackberry and blackcurrant, with hints of licorice, cloves, and walnuts.

Palate
As the wine warms, red cherry, graphite, and fennel emerge, carried by very polished, refined tannins. Black raspberry, black plum, and blackcurrant pastille build genuine intensity, framed by ripe, grainy tannins and real freshness, with mocha, spice, and leather developing with air.

Finish
Long and fragrant, with layered flavors and good tension between fruit and oak. Chocolate and a touch of earthiness linger, closing with a warm, earth-framed structure and a floral hint of violet.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Grilled or roasted red meat
• Aged hard cheeses
• Rich, savory braises
• Dark chocolate desserts