In 1975, Francis Ford Coppola purchased the historic Inglenook property, intent on restoring the estate’s legacy of creating world-class wines equal to those that founder Gustave Niebaum and his grandnephew John Daniel Jr. made for decades. Rubicon, the estate’s premier wine since 1978, is produced from the best estate grown fruit, including the historic Gustave Niebaum Cabernet Sauvignon selection, which was first planted on the property in the 1880s.
The Inglenook legacy began in 1879 when Gustave Niebaum, a Finnish sea captain, wine connoisseur and entrepreneur, came to Rutherford to build a wine estate that would rival Europe’s finest. When Niebaum’s grandnephew, John Daniel, Jr. inherited the chateau and vineyards in the 1930s, Inglenook had already earned international acclaim. Francis and Eleanor Coppola purchased the property in 1975 and have spent forty years reuniting the original vineyards, returning winemaking operations to the chateau, and restoring Inglenook’s illustrious heritage with the help of renowned wine consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt and Managing Director and Winemaker Philippe Bascaules. In honor of this estate and its historical significance, we have restored the name, Inglenook.