One of my favorite stops in Napa, Beaulieu Vineyard or BV has gained a very strong national reputation for great Cabernet over the past 20 years. I was very impressed with what they produced from the great vintages of 2012 and 2013. A gorgeous setting for tasting some of Napa’s finest wines, the BV Reserve Room is one of the most serene locations for wine tasting in the valley. I was very impressed with the new lineup of wines from BV which are completely irresistible. I had the chance to meet their superstar winemaker Jeffrey Stambor at a wine event earlier this year and he talked about the meticulous details that go into producing their high end wines.
I’ve had more than ten previous vintages of their ‘Tapestry’ Reserve wine and the 2012 Tapestry (WWB, 92) is up there with the best that I have sampled, displaying some really nice dark fruit flavors and medium tannins. The star of the show was the 2012 BV ‘Georges de Latour’ Cabernet (WWB, 94) and up there with the best Cabernets that I sampled in the valley. This is a big but balanced wine that has the structure to cellar for decades. The bottling is up there with the 1996 as my favorite bottlings of ‘Georges de Latour.’ Several of these wines can be found at Costco. You can also look for these wines at Total Wines and More, as well as some northwest wine shops like Wine World and Esquin. Learn more about BV wines at Here are the new reserve wines from BV.
2013 BV ‘Carneros Reserve’ Pinot Noir- This impressive wine starts with aromas of red raspberry, red cherry and dill with suggestions of nutmeg. The wine has flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, red raspberry and hints of lavender. With lovely texture and weight, there is a seamless quality to this wine. Drink 2016-2025-93
2012 BV 'Tapestry' Reserve Red Wine-The wine begins with dense aromas of dill, blackberry, sage and mocha. There are rich flavors of blackberry jam, mocha, anise and black raspberry. Lovely texture to this wonderful blend that has a polished finish. There are some medium tannins which suggest that is needing a long decant. This is one of the best Tapestry bottlings that I have sampled in more than a deacde. Drink 2016-2028- 92
2012 BV 'Georges de Latour' Cabernet- BV has made this wine for decades and this is up there with the best bottlings that I have had since the ’96. This impressive wine opens with a lovely range of aromas including red currant, dill, red bell pepper, wild blackberry and anise. There are rich flavors of blackberry cobbler, coffee grounds, creme de cassis and anise. Incredible complexity and texture to this gorgeous Cabernet that has some medium tannins. Up there with the best in the valley. If enjoying now, be sure to give this a two hour decant. Drink 2016-2035- 94
2011 BV 'Clone 6' Reserve Cabernet- This impressive cold vintage wine begins with aromas of red bell pepper, pipe tobacco, anise and creme de cassis. This leads to flavors of red berry, mocha, anise and red bell pepper. There is lovely texture and weight to this impressive wine. Drink 2016-2040- 93