1 dozen bottles per lot
Details
Niebaum-Coppola Winery, Rubicon--Vintage 1991
Napa Valley
"The 1991 Rubicon (2,330 cases) exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, a cedary, earthy, black-cherry, and currant-scented nose, good density, and aggressive tannin, which causes some astringency in the finish. This medium to full-bodied, spicy wine has character and depth; it should age well for another 15 years, but I am not sure the tannin will melt away. 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." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #108 (Dec 1996)
1 dozen bottles per lot
Napa Valley
"The 1991 Rubicon (2,330 cases) exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, a cedary, earthy, black-cherry, and currant-scented nose, good density, and aggressive tannin, which causes some astringency in the finish. This medium to full-bodied, spicy wine has character and depth; it should age well for another 15 years, but I am not sure the tannin will melt away. 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." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #108 (Dec 1996)
1 dozen bottles per lot