Futures Night Barrel Lineup

Futures Night is this weekend! This ticketed member-exclusive event will feature barrel tastings of 7 phenomenal Rubino Estates and Ruby Hill Wines. We are delighted to share the barrels that have been hand-selected for Futures Night by our talented team. Guests of the event will have the opportunity to taste and pre-order these gorgeous wines!

Rubino Estates Riserva Sangiovese

Estimated bottling date: June 2024

Enjoy the bright red fruit character of this Italian classic! Our Riserva Sangiovese brings lively notes of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry to the palate, along with excellent food-friendly acidity. A light touch of tannin on the palate leads into a fruity, vanilla-accented finish after time in oak. Our Sangiovese is rustic, robust, and gorgeous, perfect at pizza night and elegant dinners alike. 

Rubino Estates Club Exclusive Ferrario

Estimated bottling date: June/July 2024

Enjoy a very rich and brooding aroma, with notes like chocolate, red fruit, plum and fig. Once barrel aging is complete, the palate releases a symphony of flavor, joined by a big mouthfeel, smooth tannins, and some spice. This wine was named in honor of Ernest Ferrario, an Italian immigrant, and proprietor of our Estate Vineyard from 1921-1975. Our winemaker crafted this wine exclusively for members of the Rubino Estates Wine Club. 

Rubino Estates Landmark Proprietary Red

Estimated bottling date: February 2025

Our rich and lush Proprietary Red is a favorite of many guests and members, with saturated and bright flavor. This top-secret blend is comprised of our most exceptional varietals from each vintage. The exact components are known only to our winemaker, who has crafted this unique wine especially for you! After barrel aging, the finished wine is bold and gorgeous with promise to age gracefully. 

Ruby Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Estimated bottling date: July 2024

An undeniable classic, the Ruby Hill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunner, vintage after vintage. Richly flavorful with a heavy and satisfying mouthfeel, you can expect a voluptuous profile on the palate and long, lingering finish. Flavors like marionberry, French plum, dark chocolate, black pepper, and vanilla bean are all at home in our estate vineyard's Cabernet Sauvignon. This Bordeaux beauty is known for its excellent ageability, so it can be enjoyed for years to come. 

Ruby Hill Club Exclusive Patchwork

Estimated bottling date: June/July 2024

The Patchwork is named for the bird's-eye view of the vineyard, where each varietal block is stitched into a gorgeous patchwork of vines. The Patchwork's merry trio of varietals: Zinfandel, Merlot, and Petit Verot, create an elevated and enrapturing blend. Expressive Zin notes meet the darker and satisfying Merlot textures, along with plum notes, smooth tannin, and balanced acidity supported by the Petit Verdot elements. 

Ruby Hill Jewel Petit Verdot

Estimated bottling date: February 2025

Luxe and refined, Petit Verdot offers elegance and richness, with notes of violet, berries, and lilac. As it ages, the subtleties develop into a multisensory symphony of flavor and texture. The Jewel Collection Series represents the epitome of winemaking at Ruby Hill, and our Petit Verdot puts that on display with pride. Crafted with attention to every detail and meticulous care for the farming, gentle vinification, and extended aging in carefully selected cooperage, this elegant wine is one to remember.

Odyssey, Chapter 3

Estimated bottling date: February 2025

This mysterious and ultra-exclusive wine is premium in every way. Odyssey is a red wine blend, made with the highest degree of care and opulence to celebrate the rich history and legacy of our estate. Each vintage corresponds to a chapter in our story. The 2020 vintage debuted as Chapter 1, and this barrel of 2022 Odyssey provides a glimpse at Chapter 3. You don't want to miss this.  

Click here to get your last-minute tickets to Futures Night!

Your Guide to Wine Futures

With Futures Night coming up in just two weeks, we are taking some time to explore the interesting and important aspects of wine futures barrel tastings, how they work, and how they differ from other barrel tasting.  

What are Wine Futures?

Wine futures are wines that have been blended into their final form but have not yet been bottled. This is distinct from other barrel tastings, wherein you try a single varietal from a single barrel. Single barrels like those become the components of a larger lot, which our winemaker will balance with additions from other barrels and even other varietals prior to bottling. This is the stage for Futures tasting. Though they are nearly ready to be bottled, there is still an element of youth to wine futures. In Bordeaux, wine futures are referred to as “en primeur” which translates to “in youth.” Wines sold en primeur may be bottled months or years after tasting from the barrel. Once bottled, the wines will be available to those who purchased. 

How do you get the wine out of the barrel?

Oxidation caused by extended contact with air is the enemy of wine, so it is important to keep barrels sealed off. Barrels are made up of oaken slats, called staves, one of which has a hole for access. These holes are stopped up with a rubber plug called a “bung” to protect the wine inside from the air. To sample the futures inside the barrels, we use a device called a “wine thief,” a tubular pipette designed to perfectly “steal” tastes of wine from the barrel. 

What is different about a wine future and how is the wine going to change?

One of the reasons for extended barrel aging is to allow oak character to balance the fruit and to give the natural tannins time to integrate. Tasting wine futures allows you to appreciate the character of the fruit itself, which lays the foundation for the eventual wine’s overall profile. Tasting futures is a great way to put your palate to the test and gain intimate insight into the process of your favorite wines. If you like it in the barrel, imagine it in the bottle! Futures allow you to preview and buy what you’ll really love.  

Why buy a future wine?

If you want to secure access to limited edition wines that sell out fast, this is your chance! Some vintages are gone before you know it, and buying futures assures the chance to have these wines won’t pass you by. Even more,  when you purchase a future, you are purchasing far below retail value. Think of it as an investment! Futures also offer the unique chance to buy something now that will mature and come to fruition later, making it perfect for milestone celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and retirement.  

Who can buy wine futures

In classic Bordeaux futures tastings, these exclusive pre-sales are open to a select few importers, journalists, retailers, and critics. Here at the Rubino Estates, we are opening our barrels for one night only to our beloved Club Members! We want to share our futures with wine lovers who know that the best things in life are worth waiting for. Our Futures Night will be hosted Saturday, April 27th, and will feature some of the best wine futures from all over our Estate, including wines from Ruby Hill Winery. The event will be held in our tasting room.

Tickets must be purchased in advance and are on sale now! Click here. 

If you're not currently a member but would like to join us for Futures Night, now is the time to sign up! Click here for more information on the wine club.