In 1979, director and cinema pioneer Francis Ford Coppola bought part of the formerly world-famous Inglenook Estate, which had been founded by Niebaum 100 years earlier.
Initially pursued as a hobby in memory of his grandparents, who had pressed wines in their cellar in the Naples region, Coppola embarked on a serious winemaking career in the mid-1990s – so serious, in fact, that his Francis Ford Coppola Winery is now the twelfth-largest U.S. wine producer.
The vineyard
The Coppola wines are intended to be “everyday wines for everyday life”. But these wines are by no means simple Hollywood starlets. Francis Ford Coppola wines have a very personal touch, are powerful, perfectly balanced allround, long lasting and pleasantly mild.
All grapes for Francis Ford Coppola wines are certified organic.
Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Cut
After the success of his Napa Valley winery, Coppola sounded out the neighbouring Sonoma Valley in 2007, where he acquired the former Château Sovereign winery, expanded it, and created his Director’s Cut line of wines.
Archimedes is a Cabernet Sauvignon that derives its alluring spice quality from the small amount of unique Knights Valley Cabernet Franc that is added to the blend. This fruit is highly aromatic and extremely dark, which is atypical of the variety. We use a significant amount of Cabernet Sauvignon from our own Estate and additional batches from Alexander Valley and Knights Valley vineyards, which we find particularly impressive, well concentrated and distinct. We get very bright cherry notes from the Alexander Valley fruit and darker fruit impressions from the Knights Valley grapes. The final wine is created by selecting the best blend from individual barrels within each lot. This accounts for Archimedes’ tremendous complexity.
A powerfully complex wine with a classic flavour profile and youthful maturity. Debuted with the 2006 vintage, the first year our wines were produced at the Sonoma property.
Bright and balanced, highlighted by juicy apple, cantaloupe and pear flavours enveloped in a crème brûlée finish.
Our Chardonnay reflects the distinctive personality of Monterey vineyards, which give rise to juicy apple, guava and melon flavours. Whole-cluster pressing and a combination of barrel and stainless steel fermentation ensures that the creamy texture and caramelised sugar finish is balanced by a crisp acidity.
A vibrant California Merlot, displaying luscious plum and red raspberry flavours. Sourced from the same core of Merlot grape-growers since the premiere vintage in 1997.
2018 Director’s Cut Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Winery
Francis Ford Coppola
Region
California | USA
Appellation
Russian River
Category
White wine
Grape variety(ies)
Chardonnay
Taste
Dry
Tannins
Soft/velvety
Barrel maturation
8 months in French oak barrels; 25 % new oak
Content
750 ml
Alcohol
14.2 %
EU organic farming
Character/Description
A full-bodied Chardonnay bursting with flavours of butterscotch, brioche, and baked apples. Sourced from Russian River Valley, one of California’s premier Chardonnay-growing regions.
Wine
2018 Director’s Cut Russian River Valley Chardonnay
12 months in French and American oak; 20 % new oak
Content
750 ml
Alcohol
14.5 %
EU organic farming
Character/Description
Spicy, full-bodied red wine layered with dark berry fruit impressions and an edge of earthiness. Limited-production blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah from special Sonoma County appellations. Fans of Super Tuscans will enjoy the exotic spice character as well as the juicy fruit impressions of blackberries, cherries, currants, anise and cigar box. The palate has a soft, elegant entry provided by the Zinfandel, while the mid-palate offers rich, bold flavours of cassis courtesy of our Cabernet Sauvignon. Lengthy tannins from our Petite Sirah hold everything together for a dramatic finish.
Wine
Director’s Cut Cinema 2017
Winery
Francis Ford Coppola
Region
California | USA
Appellation
Sonoma
Category
Red wine
Grape variety(ies)
Zinfandel Cabernet | Sauvignon | Petite Sirah
Taste
Dry
Tannins
Soft/velvety
Barrel maturation
12 months in French and American oak; 20 % new oak
An opulent, structured Alexander Valley Cabernet. A wine with a striking bouquet containing aromas of raspberry jam, baked blueberries, violets, and smoky spice notes of clove, tobacco, and forest floor. An opulent, full-bodied palate presents juicy flavours of crushed cherries, berries, and cocoa. With the long, decadent finish you’ll find touches of caramel and toasted wood. Excellent structure and tannins make this wine capable of ageing for several more years.
APOCALYPSE NOW is a trademark and copyright of Zoetrope Corporation.
Cabernet Sauvignon | Petit Verdot | Petite Sirah | Malbec
Taste
Dry
Tannins
Soft/velvety
Barrel maturation
14 months in French oak barrels
Content
750 ml
Alcohol
13,9 %
EU organic farming
Character/Description
Our signature red wine, layered with flavours of blackberry, cassis and roasted espresso. Claret is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, blended in the classic Bordeaux style. This Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc blend is alluring and sophisticated; it is memorably lush with a tapestry of smooth tannins and succulent flavours of wild berries, plum and anise.
Wine
Claret 2017
Winery
Francis Ford Coppola
Region
California | USA
Appellation
Alexander Valley
Category
Red wine
Grape variety(ies)
Cabernet Sauvignon | Petit Verdot | Petite Sirah | Malbec
2018 Director’s Cut Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Winery
Francis Ford Coppola
Region
California | USA
Appellation
Russian River
Category
White wine
Grape variety(ies)
Chardonnay
Taste
Dry
Tannins
Soft/velvety
Barrel maturation
8 months in French oak barrels; 25 % new oak
Content
750 ml
Alcohol
14.2%
EU organic farming
Character/Description
Tempting, easily drinkable Zinfandel with lively Californian aroma of fruit and spice, made for daily enjoyment. Its peppery characteristic creates a unique and complex taste profile.
Wine
2018 Director’s Cut Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Syrah (Rutherford) | Petite Sirah Alexander Valley | Cabernet Sauvignon Dry | Creek Valley | Syrah
Taste
Dry
Tannins
Soft/velvety
Barrel maturation
15 months in French oak barrels
Content
750 ml
Alcohol
14.5 %
EU organic farming
Character/Description
Similar to Australia’s famed Penfold’s Grange, Eleanor is a robust red blend that combines fruit from both of the Coppola properties. Blending Syrah and Petite Sirah grown in Rutherford with Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, we’ve created a unique bottling that is very long lived with exceptional depth and complexity. Beautifully perfumed with dramatic spices, our Eleanor offers a rich, velvety palate of jammy boysenberries, cassis and juicy plums enlivened by fragrant notes of black cherries, cloves, allspice and cocoa.
Wine
2018 Eleanor
Winery
Francis Ford Coppola
Region
California | USA
Appellation
Sonoma
Category
Red wine
Grape variety(ies)
Syrah (Rutherford) | Petite Sirah Alexander Valley | Cabernet Sauvignon Dry | Creek Valley | Syrah
Diamond Chardonnay
Bright and balanced, highlighted by juicy apple, cantaloupe and pear flavours enveloped in a crème brûlée finish.
Our Chardonnay reflects the distinctive personality of Monterey vineyards, which give rise to juicy apple, guava and melon flavours. Whole-cluster pressing and a combination of barrel and stainless steel fermentation ensures that the creamy texture and caramelised sugar finish is balanced by a crisp acidity. Diamond Zinfandel
Alluring, easy-drinking Zinfandel with vivid California flavours of fruit and spice, made for everyday enjoyment. Its peppery characteristic creates a distinctive, complex flavour profile. Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon
A powerfully complex wine with a classic flavour profile and youthful maturity. Debuted with the 2006 vintage, the first year our wines were produced at the Sonoma property.
Sofia Rosé is a wine of unparalleled beauty. From its shapely, stylised bottle to its delicate fruity essence, this is a wine like no other. When served chilled, its refreshing style makes a delicious partner to light summer fare and savoury hors d’oeuvres. Feminine and stylish, with a fragrant perfume of wild strawberries, cardamom and lemon peel, this rosé is lively and balanced with succulent flavours of tangerine and a hint of stony minerals.
Ready to ship immediately, delivery time 3-10 days - plus shipping costs - from 99€ free shipping - price includes VAT.
Wine region California
California is the United States’ largest and most important wine-growing region. Around 90 percent of the country’s wine production comes from here, resulting in wines which could hardly be more diverse due to the region’s widely differing climatic zones. Along the Pacific coast, California’s vineyards stretch over 1000 kilometres from north to south. Because of this vast expanse, viticulture takes place in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.
The climate zones are divided into five regions (numbered 1 to 5), from cooler areas comparable to wine-growing regions such as Burgundy, Loire or Moselle, to regions similar to Bordeaux or Tuscany and hot regions like those of central Spain or even North Africa. This regional classification is quite controversial, and therefore the so-called AVA classification is often used.
A total of 320,000 hectares of vineyard area in California
There are more than 100 of these “American Viticultural Areas” making this classification more meaningful and reliable. It splits California into five major regions (Central Coast, Central Valley, North Coast, Sierra Foothills, and South Coast), each of which is further divided into smaller AVAs.
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon dominate Californian viticulture, covering more than 30,000 hectares of vineyards. Colombard, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Zinfandel also play a prominent role. In addition to wine grapes, the Sultana table grape variety is also notable in California and is cultivated on about 30,000 hectares. Altogether, California has a total vineyard area of about 320,000 hectares, of which about 200,000 hectares are used for viticulture.
Wine region California
