Inglenook

William Watson created the estate in the early 1870s, named it Inglenook and planted approximately 40 acres of vines. He sold the property to Judge S. Clinton Hastings, who sold it in 1879 to Helsinki-born businessman Gustave Niebaum, a partner in the Alaska Commercial Co. Niebaum continued to acquire neighboring parcels over the next several years, creating an estate of 1,100 contiguous acres. Construction of the chateau began in 1881 and took six years to complete; Hamden McIntyre was among the architects Niebaum hired to build the winery. Inglenook wines won gold medals at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, and before 1900 the estate was producing some 30,000 cases a year. Unusually for the time, Inglenook bottled its wines on site, vintage dated them and labeled them as from Napa Valley.

• Early 1870s: William Watson created the estate and named it Inglenook.
• 1879: Gustave Niebaum bought the property; construction of the chateau began in 1881.
• 1889: gold medals at the World's Fair in Paris; 1891: Inglenook wine was served at the White House to President Grover Cleveland.
• Before 1900: production of some 30,000 cases a year.

The winery closed during Prohibition and its grapes were sold to Beaulieu Vineyard for sacramental wines; it reopened in 1933 after repeal, with winemaker Carl Bundschu at the helm. In 1939 John Daniel Jr., Niebaum's grandnephew, assumed management of Inglenook, and during the 1940s he also acquired the Napanook Vineyard in Yountville. In 1964 Daniel sold Inglenook, its brand name, chateau winery and close to 100 acres of vineyards, to United Vintners. By the end of the 1960s the property was owned by Heublein Vintners. Wine production in Napa Valley under the Inglenook brand ended by 1989; Heublein sold the brand to Canandaigua Wine Company in 1994, and Constellation sold it to The Wine Group in 2008.

• 1933: reopened after repeal, with winemaker Carl Bundschu.
• 1939: John Daniel Jr., Niebaum's grandnephew, assumed management.
• 1964: Daniel sold the brand name, chateau winery and close to 100 acres of vineyards to United Vintners.
• 1994 and 2008: the Inglenook brand passed from Heublein to Canandaigua Wine Company, then from Constellation to The Wine Group.

In 1975 Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased a portion of what had been the Inglenook estate and established their own winery, Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery. Rubicon, a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, was first bottled in 1978, made in the small carriage house on site. The Coppolas acquired the old chateau in 1995, reuniting the property, and in 2002 Coppola purchased the neighboring JJ Cohn ranch. The estate was later known as Rubicon Estate; in April 2011 Francis Ford Coppola announced a deal to acquire the Inglenook trademark from The Wine Group, and the estate took back its original name. The Coppola family owns Inglenook today.

• 1975: Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased part of the former estate and established Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery.
• 1978: first vintage of Rubicon.
• 1995: the Coppolas acquired the chateau, reuniting the property.
• 2011: the Inglenook trademark was acquired from The Wine Group and the original name restored.

The estate's site lists Philippe Bascaules as Director of Winemaking, at the helm of Inglenook's winemaking since 2011; he came to Napa Valley with experience from Bordeaux. When the trademark deal was announced in April 2011, Bascaules was to assume the position of estate manager and winemaker. Roman Coppola, son of Francis and Eleanor, worked with the winemaking team to create the estate's RC Reserve Syrah.

• Owners: the Coppola family.
• Director of Winemaking: Philippe Bascaules, at the helm of winemaking since 2011.

The estate covers over 1,700 contiguous acres, with nearly 235 acres dedicated to vineyards; much of the remaining land is forested hillside in the Mayacamas Mountains, rising to the top of Mount Saint John. Approximately half of the vineyard acreage lies behind the winery on Rutherford Bench soils, and the other half in front of the winery, extending to Highway 29. All estate wines come from the organically farmed vineyards on site, which obtained CCOF certification in 1994. The vineyards are divided into approximately 120 growing regions based on soils, microclimates, varieties and vigor levels. Vineyard blocks named on the estate's wine pages include Cohn, Gio, Walnut, Apple, Garden, Cask, Creek and Chateau; the Sauvignon Blanc comes from Tank House, the lower portion of the Chateau vineyard, where sandy-clay loam soils sit over gravel.

• Over 1,700 contiguous acres; nearly 235 acres of vineyards.
• Organically farmed; CCOF certification obtained in 1994.
• About half the vineyards lie behind the winery on Rutherford Bench soils, half in front of it extending to Highway 29.

Tours of the chateau and grounds take in Inglenook's historic gravity-flow winery. In 2003 Coppola oversaw the drilling of caves into the hillside behind the chateau; now 16,000 square feet and known as the Infinity Cave, they are used for aging barrels of wine. The Italia Coppola Wine Caves, dedicated to Francis Coppola's mother, were completed in 2022: close to 23,000 square feet and designed for 120 fermenting tanks, one for each vineyard block, so that each block's character is kept intact.

• 2003: the Infinity Cave, 16,000 square feet, for barrel aging.
• 2022: the Italia Coppola Wine Caves, close to 23,000 square feet, with 120 fermenting tanks, one per vineyard block.

Rubicon, first made in 1978, is the estate's premier red, a Bordeaux-styled wine named after the river Julius Caesar crossed in 49 B.C. The 2019 Rubicon blended 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, and the 2013 is the only vintage so far made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon is a tribute to John Daniel Jr., who produced the 1941 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon from vine cuttings Niebaum brought to the property from Bordeaux. Blancaneaux, produced since 1999 as a partner to Rubicon, blends three estate-grown white Rhône varieties: Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The lineup also includes a Sauvignon Blanc from the Tank House block, the RC Reserve Syrah, offered as a Heritage Society exclusive, and, in some years, a stand-alone Cabernet Franc. Approximately 22,000 cases a year are produced under the Inglenook label and the Niebaum-Pennino brand.

• Rubicon: premier red since the inaugural 1978 vintage; the 2019 blend was 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: a tribute to John Daniel Jr. and his 1941 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Blancaneaux: Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, produced since 1999.
• Sauvignon Blanc from the Tank House block; RC Reserve Syrah, a Heritage Society exclusive.

In 1999 Wine Spectator chose the 1941 Inglenook as one of the 12 greatest wines made anywhere between 1900 and 1999, in company that included wines from Château Margaux, Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château d'Yquem.

• 1941 vintage: chosen by Wine Spectator in 1999 as one of the 12 greatest wines of 1900 to 1999.

Rubicon manifests Francis Coppola's wish to create a Bordeaux-styled grand wine, in his words 'a wine that can please contemporary taste, but with a historical aspect [that defines] our vineyards at their zenith.' The estate presents Bascaules' philosophy as 'pursuing wines that whisper complexity and mystery rather than shouting power.' The Napa Wine Project's single-word summary of the Inglenook wines is 'freshness'; the team typically picks the majority of its Cabernet Sauvignon in September rather than October.

Tastings and tours are by appointment. Experiences include a tour of the chateau and grounds with a tasting, a private cave tour through the Italia Cave and the Infinity Cave, and private library tastings, and the Bistro offers wines by the glass or bottle.

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://inglenook.com/, https://inglenook.com/our-story/, https://inglenook.com/visit-us/, https://inglenook.com/visit-us/experiences/, https://inglenook.com/product/rubicon/, https://inglenook.com/product/cabernet-sauvignon/, https://inglenook.com/product/blancaneaux/, https://inglenook.com/product/sauvignon-blanc/, https://inglenook.com/product/cabernet-franc/, https://inglenook.com/product/rc-reserve-syrah/. Secondary sources: The Napa Wine Project (https://www.napawineproject.com/inglenook-estate/), San Francisco Chronicle (Julie Albin, November 21, 2017; https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/At-Inglenook-Francis-Ford-Coppola-has-revived-15551955.php) and The Press Democrat (April 11, 2011; https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2011/04/11/coppola-buys-inglenook-brand/). Last verified 2026-10-20. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.