Rubicon Estate Rubicon 2002

Winemaker's Notes:

Vintage Vintage 2002 was a classic California powerhouse. Winter weather ended abruptly in April and a mild spring followed. Summer had moderate temperatures, but the heat intensified in September and warm weather propelled the Cabernet into ideal concentration and ripeness. Harvest began in earnest in late September with quintessential Rubicon lots reaching full maturation in October. The Winery The Rubicon Winery was rebuilt based on a photograph of an Inglenook harvest scene circa 1958. It was designed to expertly handle the Estate’s 235 planted acres. The design also incorporated the most modern winemaking innovations. Winemaker’s Notes We harvest all our vineyards by hand at first light and bring them to the winery in small bins. The grapes are then sorted by a skilled crew. Immediately after crushing, we sort the must removing any broken pieces of stems or other imperfections. The must is then lifted gently into the Taransaud fermenting tanks. Each tank holds between five to six tons of crushed grapes, representing approximately two acres of vineyard. Using traditional punch-down methods, we ferment our wines from one to three weeks depending on vintage and tannin extraction. Tasting Notes Rubicon 2002 has saturated ruby-purple color, signaling ripe fruit and high extraction. The aroma expresses classic Estate Cabernet character of black cherries tinged with violets. The palate reveals an opulent texture with sweet, ripe fruit scented with vanilla and toasty notes from aging in 100% new French oak barrels. Framing the lavish texture are chocolate, sweet-tart fruit and black licorice flavors that linger on the long finish—a characteristic of the vintage, which also produced impressive, powerful tannins that will soften with time in the bottle. The 2002 Rubicon is approachable now, but will develop further complexity over time and can be cellared in optimal conditions for 15 to 20 years.