Cabernet Sauvignon (1985)

About this wine

This is a 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon bottled under the Gustave Niebaum collection name, sourced from Napa Valley, California. On the nose expect mature blackcurrant and plum with secondary notes of cedar, dried tobacco, and a hint of savory earth that are typical of aged Napa Cabernet. On the palate the wine tends to show concentrated dark fruit that has softened with time, firm but integrated tannins, and a medium to full body with a lingering cedar and spice finish. The wine was produced in the style established by the original Gustave Niebaum estate, using estate Cabernet Sauvignon and traditional oak aging practices common in Napa winemaking of that era. Bottles from this period often display tertiary notes from long cellaring, so you may find more leather and forest floor as it opens in the glass.

About the grape

Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape that originated in Bordeaux as a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, and by the late 19th century it was recognized for producing structured, age worthy wines. Captain Gustave Niebaum brought European cuttings and plantings to his Inglenook estate in Napa Valley, making Cabernet a cornerstone of the property and of the wine that later carried the Niebaum name. In Napa the variety is prized for its thick skins, firm tannins and ability to reflect site, so estate blocks on the Rutherford bench were tended with careful canopy management and site selection to concentrate flavors and build tannin structure. For the 1985 bottling the fruit came from long established vines on the Inglenook Niebaum holdings, chosen and vinified to show the classic Napa Cabernet traits and to age well in bottle.

Quick facts

• 🚢 The wine comes from the estate founded by Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish sea captain who planted the original Inglenook vineyards in the 19th century
• 🎬 Although bottled in 1985, the estate team had been quietly crafting what became the Rubicon program for years, making the 1985 vintage feel like a cinematic debut
• 🧪 André Tchelistcheff consulted on the estate in the early 1980s, lending old world winemaking prestige to wines released under the Niebaum name
• 🎭 Francis Ford Coppola owned and revived much of the property behind the label, yet he did not regain the historic Inglenook name until decades later, so 1985 bottles carry an interesting chapter in the estate story
• 🕰️ Bottles from this era often show pronounced bottle age and cellar evolution, turning original fruit and oak into rare tertiary notes collectors chase today

Palate profile

Producer

Inglenook was founded in 1879 by Finnish sea captain Gustave Niebaum who built a grand château and extensive vineyards in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Niebaum imported European vine cuttings and winemaking ideas, and his wines won international awards in the late 1800s, helping establish Napa on the world stage. The estate was closed during Prohibition and changed hands several times across the 20th century, before film director Francis Ford Coppola began buying back the property in the 1970s and reunited the historic estate and name in 2011. Today Inglenook operates as an estate winery that highlights its historic château, long vineyard tradition, and a flagship Rubicon wine as part of its legacy.