Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Winery: | Capitain Gagnerot |
Grape Type: | Pinot Noir |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Inglenook Rubicon is made from 93% Cabernet Sauvignon 7% Cabernet Franc.
Since its inaugural vintage in 1978, Rubicon has been the Estate's premier red wine, reflecting the soul of the property and expressing Francis Coppola's wish to create a Bordeaux-styled grand wine, that is, "a wine that can please contemporary taste, but with a historical aspect [that defines] our vineyards at their zenith."
Rubicon was named after the small river crossed by Julius Caesar in 49 B.C., declaring his intention to gain control of Rome, thereby launching a civil war among opposing factions. Over time the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" has come to signify any irreversible action with revolutionary intent or the outcome of which holds great risk. True to its uncommon depth, Inglenook's Rubicon continues to be a testament to the finely tuned rendering of a risk well-taken.
2016:
After four years of drought, a winter with average rainfall was welcome, as it provided ample soil moisture for a strong start to the 2016 growing season. Average late-spring temperatures and limited precipitation minimized the risk of frost during mid-May bloom, ensuring average yields. June closed with a heat spell, slowing vine canopy growth at the ideal time. Harvest of the blocks contributing to the 2016 Inglenook Rubicon blend occurred under optimum conditions from September 6th through September 27th.
Ideal harvest conditions endowed the 2016 Rubicon with the three elements associated with a truly great wine from the Rutherford appellation: complexity, balance, and elegance. The aromas are intense and focused with top notes of creamy, sweet vanilla, and black licorice wound around a core of exquisitely ripe black cherry and crème de cassis. This refinement extends directly to the palate, where the wine is both broad and deep with sensuous, silky tannins. Supremely balanced in terms of both opulence and complexity, ripe black fruits and an ultra-smooth texture provide an impressive crescendo to a very long finish.
Review:
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is a wine of total precision and class. Translucent and energetic, with distinctly mid-weight structure, the 2016 is a wine of reserve, tension and breeding. Shy at first, the 2016 has a lot to offer, but it needs a number of years in bottle to be at its most expressive. Cedar, tobacco, licorice and wild cherry add the closing nuances.
- Antonio Galloni 97 Points
Avennia Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Red Willow Cabernet is a true blockbuster.
Coming from one specific block of 30 year old vines at this iconic vineyard, then strictly barrel selected, this is the essence of powerful, old vine Washington Cabernet. After all of our efforts promoting the idea of the Bordeaux blend, it would take a pretty compelling argument to suspend that idea and make a 100% varietal Cabernet. In 2016 Red Willow provided us with just that. Each time we tasted it in the barrel, the belief grew that this was something special. Something we can't make every year. In the end we were won over, and decided to make a limited amount of this wine. But don't be fooled, as this too is a blend and a selection. Each year as we are tasting the grapes as harvest approaches, we notice that the vines near the bottom of this long, steep west-facing slope, are a little different. The vines at the bottom are in a little richer soil, and get a little more water, so we pick them separately, sometimes even a week or ten days apart, and keep them separate in barrel.
This wine is all from the top of the vineyard, with its lower yield and poorer soils giving more concentration and interest. Then further, nearly every combination of new and used French oak barrels were trialed to find the best blend. It's not enough just to use the four best barrels, but to trial each combination to see how they complement each other. For a wine with this much mass, 100% new French oak was used for the first time at Avennia. It is a wine that needs a little cellaring to start, but should last a very long time.
Review:
Made from 100% Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Willow is another gem from this great winemaker. Deep purple-colored, with a huge perfume of blackberries, crème de cassis, cedarwood, pencil lead, and graphite, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness and depth, nicely integrated acidity, and building, ripe tannins. Give bottles 3-4 years and it too will cruise for 15-20 years or more.
- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2019), 95 Points
Bursting from the glass with impeccable precision, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Willow Vineyard is the real McCoy, boasting a focused frame of fruit on the nose that shows depth and breadth in layers of aromas—blackberry, dark cherry, licorice and clove-laced spices flutter over a bed of roses. I can't stop smelling this wine! Full-bodied, the wine unfolds and expands across the palate with complexity, tight structure and beautifully managed tannins, ending with a thought-provoking and long-lingering finish. The wine has a still-tight expression that will age beautifully for years to come. It will serve you well to seek out a bottle of this world-class wine. Only 140 cases were made.
- Wine Advocate 95 Points
Avennia Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Red Willow Cabernet is a true blockbuster.
Coming from one specific block of 30 year old vines at this iconic vineyard, then strictly barrel selected, this is the essence of powerful, old vine Washington Cabernet. After all of our efforts promoting the idea of the Bordeaux blend, it would take a pretty compelling argument to suspend that idea and make a 100% varietal Cabernet. In 2016 Red Willow provided us with just that. Each time we tasted it in the barrel, the belief grew that this was something special. Something we can't make every year. In the end we were won over, and decided to make a limited amount of this wine. But don't be fooled, as this too is a blend and a selection. Each year as we are tasting the grapes as harvest approaches, we notice that the vines near the bottom of this long, steep west-facing slope, are a little different. The vines at the bottom are in a little richer soil, and get a little more water, so we pick them separately, sometimes even a week or ten days apart, and keep them separate in barrel.
This wine is all from the top of the vineyard, with its lower yield and poorer soils giving more concentration and interest. Then further, nearly every combination of new and used French oak barrels were trialed to find the best blend. It's not enough just to use the four best barrels, but to trial each combination to see how they complement each other. For a wine with this much mass, 100% new French oak was used for the first time at Avennia. It is a wine that needs a little cellaring to start, but should last a very long time.
Review:
"The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Willow Vineyard is 100% Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon that will spend roughly 20 months in close to 100% new French oak. Blackcurrants, smoked herbs, chocolate, and graphite notes all give way to a full-bodied, plump, rich, concentrated effort that's going to be better with short-term cellaring and keep for two decades."
- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2018), 94-96 pts
Avennia Valery Red Blend is made from 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc
Valery is named for the patron saint of wine in the St. Emilion region that inspired it.
We started with old vine Merlot from a stony block in the heart of the Yakima Valley and added complex, aromatic Cabernet Franc from the Horse Heaven Hills. The result is a balanced, complex wine with the elegance and ethereal perfume that this blend of two of Washington’s best varietals are known for.
The nose on this wine is very perfumed, almost exotic with notes of fresh violets, red plum, winter mint, fresh herbs and crushed limestone qualities. The palate is poised and balanced, with red fruits and mocha powder encapsulated in limestone. The finish lingers delicately, with the Cabernet Franc asserting a light tobacco and herb note, giving depth. A compelling wine that will continue to unwind for 7-10 years in the cellar.
Review:
"Brought up in 30% new French oak, the 2016 Valery (70/30 Merlot and Cabernet Franc) offers more black cherry and earthy, herbal notes as well as a medium-bodied, seamless, beautifully balanced style. It too shows a vibrant, fresh, yet concentrated style that has a Bordeaux feel in its weight and texture."
- Jeb Dunnuck (April 2019), 93 pts
"Good medium-dark red. Aromas of blueberry, mocha, licorice and violet are a bit darker than those of the 2015 version. Dense and penetrating, with wild flavors of dark berries, licorice and game given lift by rocky minerality and a minty nuance. Chris Peterson slightly acidified his Cabernet Franc from Champoux Vineyard, which he added to the wine for richness. This beauty may yet tighten up in the bottle.- Stephen Tanzer"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2018), 92+ pts
Chateau Bourdieu Absolu Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux is made from 79% merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec.
When Luc Schweitzer was joined by his two sons Richard and Ludovic at the estate, he wanted to embrace this new chapter in the family history and launched in 2016 a special cuvée from Château Bourdieu called "Absolu". This top-of-the-range cuvée is the best of what their terroir has to offer. The 35 year-old facing south vines benefit from a meticulous care: regular maintenance of the soil, yield control, manual leaf stripping, sorting of the berries - all practices that ensure the quality of this great Bordeaux wine.
A deep garnet color with magnificent purple highlights. The nose is intense and full, revealing notes of ripe black fruits and subtle hints of vanilla and roasted coffee. Great structure with finesse and tannic density that brings depth and length to the mouth. The aromatic purity of the perfectly ripened grape varieties is magnified by the complex and subtle oak flavors.
Pair: Rib of grilled beef and tournedos Rossini - butter pan-fried beef filet served on a crouton, and topped with a hot slice of fresh foie gras.
Review:
"A rich, opulent wine, this is full of dark tannins and powerful fruit. It's a big wine, with licorice and dense wood flavors that give a smoky character and reflect some serious extraction. The wine needs to smooth out to showcase its concentrated richness. Drink from 2024. - Roger VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast (May 2021), 91 pts
Crown Point Estate Selection is made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec.
The 2016 Crown Point Estate Selection exhibits a heady aromatic array of baking spices, ripe red and black fruits, with deep intonations of earth and minerals. The palate is elegant and bright, with appealing acids and nuanced notes of savory mocha and dried herbs. Polished and seamless, the tannins finish with a comet-like trail of textural opulence highlighted by glossy flavors of baked berry pie and warm toast. Recommended drinking window: now through 2030s.The 2016 Estate Selection is representative of all five red Bordeaux varieties. The selection process starts in the vineyard and continues on through the winemaking process: only the best lots make the final blend. All blocks were harvested & fermented separately. The individual components were blended after 12 months in barrel. Total time in 225 liter French oak barrels was 26 months.
Review:
Deeply colored, the 2016 Estate Selection checks in as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec that was brought up 26 months in 75% new French oak. Deeply colored, it has a smoking good bouquet of crème de cassis, smoke tobacco, lead pencil, camphor, and hints of chocolate. This gives way to a powerful, opulent Cabernet Sauvignon that has plenty of sweet tannins, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, no hard edges, and an awesome finish. I’d happily put this beauty in a lineup of top Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and blends.
-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
There’s an impressive amount of complexity on the nose of this bottling by winemaker Adam Henkel, from crushed graphite and concentrated black strawberry to cinnamon pastry, licorice and a brush of herbs. The sip is intense, with leathery but chiseled tannins presenting flavors of charred black currant, licorice, black olive, dried flower and white pepper
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Capitain Gagnerot Vosne-Romanee Aux Raviolle is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Deep red, light purple in color. Floral and giving of slight underbrush. Lithe, yet forceful of expressive forward fruit which builds upon a velvety and coolness. The flavor holds very well on the palate, with mineral driven finish.
SOILS
Limestone on marl, very permeable, made of scree which contains erosion.
VINIFICATION / MATURING
Harvested by hand, sorted and destemed.
Alcoholic fermentation in open vats, for about 15 days with 2 punch-down a day at the beginning.
Maturation in oak barrels (10% new barrels) for 13 months.
ALCOHOL
13°
TASTING NOTES
Colour : Deep red colour, ruby to garnet.
Nose : Black fruits aromas (blackcurrant, blueberry, blackberry), and spices.
Mouth : Powerfull, with rich and balanced tannins, its structure suggest a good ageing potential.
FOOD ACCORDANCE
Poultry, piece of Charolais, foie gras, Burgundy strong cheeses (Epoisses, Langres, Soumaintrain)
The Domaine Gagnerot was established in 1802. In 1864 Marie, Jean-Baptiste’s unique daughter, marries François Capitain, wine trader, native of Champlitte. Together, Jean-Baptiste and François establish the Domaine Capitain-Gagnerot.
After the phylloxera crisis wich ravaged the Burgundian vineyard from the 1870s the the 1880s, Marie then widowed, decides to keep the domaine and to replant it vines. The succession is since made from father to son.
After the Second World War, Roger Capitain inherits 3 hectares of vineyards and a wine trade. His two sons, Patrice and Michel, take over the domaine upon his retirement.
Today, the domaine comprise 16 hectares of vineyards in full ownership, and it is Pierre-François and Delphine, Patrice’s children, who now oversee its destiny, supported by their spouses.
Terroir
The particularity of Burgundy is to produce on diversified terroirs wines elaborated with a single grape variety, which emphasize the specificity of every appellation : Pinot Noir for red wines, Chardonnay for white wines.
Our terroir refers to the specific characteristics of grounds, subsoil, weather conditions and vines, but it is also the result of man’s work and knowhow, refined over a long history.
Located at the junction of Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, the highly defined vineyard of Ladoix is ideally situated on the Coteau de Corton, the only hillside in Burgundy to produce both white Grand Crus and red Grand Crus.
This famed hillside has a geologic profile which comprises two types of soils:
• Marl limestone convenient for great white wines;
• Clay and limestone, yielding red wines of great finesse.
Winemaking
Our wines are produced in accordance with reasoned culture principles, applying at the same time the principles of integrated farming and as often as the weather conditions allow it, those of biodynamic farming. We work in harmony with the vineyard and its ecosystem, by favoring natural treatment products and by limiting our interventions to the minimum, in order to obtain a healthy harvest.
Vineyards are regularly earthed up and ploughed to ensure that the vines draw in depth the typicality and the expression of their terroir. Plowing also avoids rapid erosion of the soil, therefore ensuring optimal growing conditions for the vines.
A rigorous selection of plants, a thorough pruning and an early thinning out of leaves allow the control of quality and yield. To always obtain the best of each plot, there only remains to select the most favorable harvest date for an optimal maturity and quality. We believe that great wines are born in the vineyard.
Completely hand-harvested, grapes are sorted out and destemmed before being placed in tanks to be vinified.
The fermentation of Pinot Noir is naturally made, in open tank, without yeast addition, during 12 to 15 days following the harvest, in a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. The wine is punched-down twice a day at the beginning of wine-making.
Wines are exclusively matured in oak barrels during 12 to 18 months. After the malolactic fermentation and a light filtration, they are bottled.
After racking of the must, our Chardonnay ends its alcoholic fermentation in barrels at a temperature between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius to ensure that it retains all its aromatic freshness.
After a minimum 10 month maturing in cask, wines are racked, filtered and bottled.
To protect the character of our wine and its terroir, we do not use more than 10% of new wood.
We believe that wood is solely a support in making good wine, and a slight touch of it is enough to achieve that goal.
Our viticulture and wine-making reflect our will to make genuinely fresh wines, which are the expression of our rich terroir, and of the elegance of the great grape varieties of Burgundy.
The fermentation of Pinot Noir is naturally made, in open tank, without yeast addition, during 12 to 15 days following the harvest, in a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. The wine is punched-down twice a day at the beginning of wine-making.
Wines are exclusively matured in oak barrels during 12 to 18 months. After the malolactic fermentation and a light filtration, they are bottled.
After racking of the must, our Chardonnay ends its alcoholic fermentation in barrels at a temperature between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius to ensure that it retains all its aromatic freshness.
After a minimum 10 month maturing in cask, wines are racked, filtered and bottled.
To protect the character of our wine and its terroir, we do not use more than 10% of new wood.
We believe that wood is solely a support in making good wine, and a slight touch of it is enough to achieve that goal.
Our viticulture and wine-making reflect our will to make genuinely fresh wines, which are the expression of our rich terroir, and of the elegance of the great grape varieties of Burgundy.
Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe, velvety tannins – as approachable in youth as in maturity. We farm Cabernet grapes in eight of Napa’s 16 sub-appellations, with diversification enabling us to make the best possible wine in a given year. This Cabernet offers layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe dark berries.
Bella Union by Far Niente Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.
The 2021 Bella Union Napa Valley Cabernet possesses beautiful and intriguing aromas of dark plum, black cherry, hints of clove and barrel spice. The palate is well-structured with velvety tannins complemented by generous layers of fruit flavors of blackberry, fig, and raspberry preserves that give way to a melting finish.
Review:
With small percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, this exquisitely aromatic and textural Cabernet begins with a perfume of crushed violets and black cherry. Concentrated flavors of blackberry liqueur, vanilla, and sandalwood flow across chewy, velvet- lined tannins.
-Tasting Panel 95 Points