Inglenook Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc 2020
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Winemaker Notes
Opening with fresh, well-defined notes of lemon zest and honeydew, the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc shows exemplary varietal character. The rich, creamy mid-palate leads to a lingering finish highlighted by lemon-lime essences, minerality, and a touch of white peach.
Blend: 81% Sauvignon Blanc, 19% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Blended with 19% Sémillon, aged eight months sur lie and then given time in stainless steel and French oak, this white opens in a compelling nose of peach, orange blossom and hazelnut. It has a depth of flavor and texture that make it both crisp and creamy, finishing in wet stone and white pepper.
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James Suckling
Lots of grapefruit and dried-peach character with hints of bitter lemon. It’s full-bodied and layered with lots going on. A denser and richer style, but layered and phenolic, giving it interest.
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Wine Spectator
Firm up front, with details of lanolin, dried flowers and minerality. Features fresh lime juice, pear and ginger flavors that are mouthwatering, with dried herbs and white tea lingering on the finish.
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2019-
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Robert
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Robert
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A decade later, Francis Ford Coppola purchased 1,500 acres of this historic property and revived Captain Niebaum's fine winemaking tradition. In 1995, Niebaum-Coppola acquired the remainder of the property and restored the Inglenook Estate to its original dimensions.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
The Rutherford sub-region of Napa Valley centers on the town of Rutherford and covers some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyard real estate, spanning from the Mayacamas in the west, to the Vaca Mountains on the other side of the valley.
Inside of the Rutherford AVA, bordering the Mayacamas, is a stretch of uplands called the Rutherford Bench. (These bench lands technically run the length of Oakville as well). Mountain runoff creates deep, well-drained, alluvial soils on the bench, giving vine roots plenty of reason to permeate deep into the ground. The result is wine with great structure and complexity.
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvingons and Bordeaux Blends garner substantial attention for their enticing fragrances of dusty earth and dried herbs, broad and juicy mid-palates and lush and fine-grained tannins. The sub-appellation claims some of the valley’s most prized vineyards today, namely Caymus, Rubicon and Beckstoffer Georges III.
It is also home to Napa’s most influential and historic personalities. Thomas Rutherford, responsible for the appellation's name, made serious investments here in grape growing and wine production between the years of 1850 to 1880. Gustave Niebaum purchased a large swath of land and completed his winery in 1887, calling it “Inglenook.” Today this remains the oldest bonded winery in California. Georges Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyard in 1900, making it the oldest continuous winery in the state. Latour also hired the famous enologist, André Tchelistcheff, a man credited for single-handedly defining the modern Napa winemaking style.