A historic Napa estate, Beaulieu Vineyard dates back to 1900, when Georges de Latour's wife, Fernande, first laid eyes on the land that would become their original Rutherford vineyard, she named it "beau lieu," or "beautiful place." De Latour saw the potential of the land and sold his thriving cream of tartar business, purchasing the four-acre ranch and later founding Beaulieu Vineyard. I have long enjoyed visiting the BV Reserve Room — one of the great locations to try some of the best wines in Napa. I’ve admired these wines back to the early and mid-1990s as I’ve found them to age remarkably well. Particularly the 1995 and 1996 ‘Georges de Latour’ are iconic, age worthy Napa wines. At the helm is Trevor Durling, who took over a few years back for legendary winemaker Jeffrey Stambor. Originally from Sonoma County, Trevor has a degree in viticulture and enology from the esteemed University of California, Davis.
An outstanding value, the 2017 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 91) has great richness and tension with good cellaring potential. This is a seriously good wine at a great price. Do not miss out on the gorgeous 2016 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Georges de Latour’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 96) which has massive cellaring potential and will reward for many decades to come. Elegant and rich, this is nothing short of a sensational new release. Learn more about these beautiful new wines at https://www.bvwines.com Here are the new releases by BV.
2018 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Chardonnay- Layers of orchard fruits collide with toasty oak and minerals on the palate. Enjoy this lighter style of Chardonnay in the near future. Drink 2020-2024- 89
2017 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Merlot- The 2017 Beaulieu Vineyard Merlot takes the lad with anise and ripe red cherry that are woven together with baking spices on the nose. The palate is soft and elegant with a generous mouthfeel. Layers of chocolate covered red cherry, cigar box and anise flavors combine with the dusty terroir tones on the palate. Showing good length, this beautiful new Merlot will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2028- 90
2017 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows rich mocha and anise aromatic tones that mingle with suggestions of spicebox and shades of violets that take shape in the glass. The palate shows great freshness and tension with layers of dark fruits and mocha tones that combine with coffee grounds and a good vein of tension. Layered and showing good length, this great value new wine will cellar well for the next decade or more. Drink 2020-2030- 90
2017 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous new wine by Beaulieu Vineyard and the talented Trevor Durling. Anise and loamy terroir combine with shades of mocha and tar on this evocative nose. The palate shows good weight and texture as layers of dark fruits meld with anise, tar and Turkish coffee. Fresh and showing a nice sense of depth, this great new Cabernet Sauvignon will cellar well for the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 91
2017 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Tapestry’ Red Wine- The 2017 ‘Tapestry’ by Beaulieu Vineyard is a sensational blend that artfully captures each working part. A blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with small portions Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, this opens with bright red fruit aromas that meld with suggestions of baking spices, red bell pepper and chocolate that all mingle in the glass. The palate is beautifully textured with layers of loganberry preserves, chocolate, sagebrush and herbal undertones. Sensational to enjoy in its youth, the 2017 ‘Tapestry’ will enjoy a long life ahead of him. Drink 2020-2038- 93
2016 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Georges de Latour’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The downright thrilling new 2016 ‘Georges de Latour’ is nothing short of a masterpiece by superstar winemaker Trevor Durling. Needing a two hour decant to fully evolve, this beautiful wine slowly begins to unveil black tea and Asian spices that meld with rich dark currants, cigar ash and dusty terroir that show their appeal. The palate is plush, wonderfully dense, as the strong vein of tension races through the core of chocolate covered dark cherry, mocha and creme de cassis flavors, with graphite and earthy undertones also brilliantly singing in unison. A complete wine, and showing a fantastic sense of freshness, weight and elegance, this gorgeous effort will enjoy an exceedingly long life ahead of it. Drink 2022-2040- 96