Beaulieu Vineyard: Profile and tasting notes
Stephen Brook tastes the latest release Cabernets from the Napa estate, plus some older vintages...
One of California's oldest wineries in continuous production...
Beaulieu Vineyard was founded in 1900 by Georges de Latour, who was born in Bordeaux in 1856 with a marketing manager’s ideal name.
A chemist who emigrated to California, he was convinced of Napa Valley’s potential as a wine region and bought a couple of hectares in 1900 in Rutherford. He expanded the estate rapidly by buying and planting over 50 more hectares in Rutherford, which even then was recognised as the valley’s sweet spot for red wines.His connections with the Catholic Church enabled Beaulieu to survive Prohibition when other estates foundered. Indeed, by the time of Repeal in 1933, production had expanded fourfold.De Latour knew he needed an outstanding winemaker, and so in 1938 he recruited a Russian oenologist called Andre Tchelitscheff, who proved to be a breath of fresh air, introducing better hygiene and yeast strains, and replacing large redwood tanks with small French oak barrels.
Private Reserve
To honour his employer, Tchelitscheff created the Georges de Latour Private Reserve, of which the first vintage was 1936. It has been made ever since, often purely from Cabernet Sauvignon, or with small additions in recent vintages of Petit Verdot or Merlot. Almost all the grapes came from Beaulieu’s extensive Rutherford plantings.
Also see: Wine Legend: Beaulieu Vineyard, BV, Georges de Latour Private Reserve 1947
Over the past decade, about half the wine has been barrel-fermented to give better oak integration and more sucrosity, and also, current winemaker Trevor Durling admits, to help mask the high tannins. The wine is aged for 22 months in about 90% new oak (entirely French in recent vintages), and about 8,000 cases are produced.
The Clones
There are also small volumes of Cabernet Sauvignon made each year from Clones 4 and 6, the principal clones planted in the Rutherford vineyards. Clone 4 originated in Mendoza and has thick skins but fairly high yields, whereas Clone 6, sourced from old vines in the Sierra Foothills, gives much lower yields and a denser structure.
Ageability
Beaulieu’s wines are fashioned for long cellaring and seem to retain their primary fruit for many years before developing secondary aromas such as tobacco and leather.
An immense vertical tasting held in London in 1999 confirmed that in top years these can be 50-year wines: vintages such as 1939, 1941, 1951, 1968, and 1968 were still alive but mature.
A recent tasting of the latest release Cabernet Sauvignons included a few vintages of Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon back to 1991. At nearly 30 years old it is standing up well, and although it’s evolved in character and now ready to drink, it’s certainly not flagging.
The wines tasted:
BV Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016
BV Clone 4 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2014
BV Clone 6 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2014
BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015
BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2012
BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2007
BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2006
BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1991
Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernets: Latest releases plus older vintages
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Beaulieu Vineyard, Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 2016
Beaulieu's large vineyard holdings in Rutherford allow the winery to produce a blend to exhibit the subregion's typicity. It's aged in 60% new French oak,...
2016
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
Beaulieu Vineyard, Clone 4 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 2014
A fairly early Napa vintage of high quality, if not entirely consistent. The nose is truly seductive, with lush blackcurrant fruit wrapped in stylish new...
2014
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
Beaulieu Vineyard, Clone 6 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 2014
Opaque red in colour, this has an overtly powerful and dense nose with aromas of plums, blackcurrants and blackberries. Although it's rather overwhelming now, with...
2014
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2015
The grapes for the Private Reserve 2015 come from BV Ranches No1 and No2, which were first planted in the early 1900s. Described by head...
2015
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 2012
After a fine growing season with even ripening, 2012 yielded a large crop of generous and opulent wines. The nose, while still reserved, is indeed...
2012
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 2007
Heat spikes in late August marred an otherwise exceptional growing season, but the Cabernet survived and the wines were rightly acclaimed. The nose is broad...
2007
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 2006
The summer was relatively cool in 2006, though there were heat spikes in July. The vintage yielded very concentrated wines that needed time to become...
2006
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 1991
A classic Napa vintage, cool and prolonged, resulting in wines of intensity and invigorating acidity. This remains deep in colour, with some maturity but no...
1991
Beaulieu VineyardNapa Valley
