Back more than twenty years ago I tried my first BV wine. It was a Georges de Latour that I will never forget from the epic 1996 vintage. Everyone in wine will remember their first Georges de Latour. A famed and historic Napa estate, Beaulieu Vineyard began in 1900, when Georges de Latour's wife, Fernande, first laid eyes on the land that would become their original Rutherford vineyard — and 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.
I love the 2019 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Rutherford Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) which is dense and chewy with serious texture. I love the price point here. We love the gorgeous 2020 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Georges de Latour’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 95) 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.
2020 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon offers straightforward dark currant, kirsch and blackberry flavors alongside coffee grounds and bright acidity on the palate. Medium-bodied, enjoy now. Drink 2024-2029- 90
2019 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Rutherford Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The outstanding 2019 ‘Rutherford Reserve’ by Beaulieu Vineyard is a outstanding blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec that was stored for 21 months in all new French oak before bottling. Alluring aromatics greet you with fresh sage, dark rose petals and potpourri alongside shades of Turkish coffee grounds. The palate reveals a smooth texture, with serious weight and great underlying verve. Bright with mouth-watering acidity, this is concentrated, broad-shouldered Cabernet that will cellar well for another fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 94
2020 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Georges de Latour’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 ‘George de Latour’ is an outstanding wine made in a really tough vintage by BV winemaker Trevor Durling. Right away this offers enticing aromatics of cigar ash, black currants, espresso grounds and shades of blackberry compote. The palate has great structure and finesse. Medium to full-bodied, this entices with a deep core of black fruits that collide with violets, graphite, and loamy soils. Coming off very clean, it will be really interesting to see how this beauty evolves. For my palate, no reason to cellar this right now as it is really hitting its stride especially after 30 minutes of air. Savor now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 95