RUBICON

Aromas of ripe berries, sweet vanilla, licorice, dark chocolate and bread crust. Notes of dried herbs and pinewood, too. So well grounded. Smooth, with a lingering, silky mouth-feel. Full body and ripe, chewy tannins. Toned and muscular with hints of crushed rocks. Firm, linear finish. Try after 2025. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Sept 2022)

The 2019 Rubicon is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a bit of coaxing to unleash energetic notes of blackcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and boysenberry preserves, leading to suggestions of cedar chest, tapenade, forest floor, and Indian spices. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly elegant and refreshing, possessing ripe, finely grained tannins to support the elegant black fruit and exotic spice layers, finishing long and fragrant. This is a very classy and impressive Rubicon! Rating: 96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (Aug 2022)

The flagship 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is slightly deeper purple-hued and checks in as a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. It's a clear step up, offering a terrific nose of ripe cassis and spiced currant fruits as well as cedary herbs, tobacco, and earth. Nicely concentrated, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, it has plenty of up-front charm (as do most 2019s) yet will have two decades of longevity. It needs plenty of air to show at its best today, so don't be afraid to put this in a decanter. 7363 cases Rating: 96 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Aug 2022)