"Beau lieu" - A Beautiful Story about a Beautiful Place
In 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." Shortly thereafter, de Latour sold his thriving cream of tartar business, bought the four-acre ranch and founded Beaulieu Vineyard with the vision of making Napa Valley wines that would rival those of his native France.
De Latour quickly made a name for himself by importing Phylloxera-resistant rootstock from Europe to the recently-ravaged fledgling California wine industry. He also began selling wine to the Catholic Church, establishing a strong relationship that would allow Beaulieu Vineyard to become the only Napa Valley winery to remain in business during Prohibition.
In fact, during Prohibition the winery increased its business. After the repeal in 1933, de Latour began searching for someone who could contribute European winemaking expertise. In 1938, he traveled to France and returned with André Tchelistcheff, famed viticulturist and enologist who instituted the philosophy of continuous innovation in vineyard and winery to which we remain dedicated today. Tchelistcheff introduced cold fermentation for white wines, malolactic fermentation for reds and aging red wines in small, French oak barrels. He also tasted the de Latour family's private wine-what they called "Private Reserve"-from the 1936 vintage. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine was so distinctive that Tchelistcheff insisted it be bottled and sold as the winery's flagship offering. The result was the inaugural release of Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that was destined to become Napa Valley's first "cult" Cabernet.
Today we continue to turn to innovative practices to craft wines in our bold, classic style. We have become a leader in clonal research, and our BV Clone Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon wines are highly acclaimed. Most recently we completed a new state-of-the-art winery within one of our original buildings. The Georges de Latour Private Reserve Winery utilizes the latest technology in combination with time-honored traditions for the production of this exceptional, wine-the longtime benchmark of Rutherford Cabernet.
51a
California » Rutherford
Wine & Spirits 92 "Here’s a red-fruited cabernet that’s juicy and ripe, buoyed by the elegance of benchland tannins. Those tannins feel brisk, with rocky mineral
75bCalifornia
Winemaker Notes Toasted oak and dark fruits introduce Beaulieu Vineyard's Coastal Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. Straightforward and well-balanced, it expresses blackberry and black cherry in equal parts
"This 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon boldly boasts its Rutherford AVA sourcing with its great saturation of color, aromas and flavors. Its massive brambly blackberry, cassis and
Wine Enthusiast 94 "A softly voluptuous quality immediately identifies this wine as pedigreed and delicious. The tannins are evident in the astringency, but they’re so finely
" The low-yields of an exceptional cool vintage gave our 2011 Reserve Tapestry its refined elegance, while five Bordeaux-heritage varietals contributed layer-upon-layer of flavor complexity.
Wine Spectator 91 "Graceful, with complex spice,herb,dried currant and crushed rock flavors that are well proportioned and gaining on the finish, where the flavors weave together
" Distinctive local aromas of black cherry, olive and mineral balanced by medium acidity and supple tannins dominate this fine Rutherford expression. " ~ Winery
" This wine exudes its sense of place—the personality and quality of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Napa Valley’s Rutherford Bench. Our 2011 Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford
Robert Parker 93 "The 2006 Proprietary Red Wine Tapestry Reserve (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) is the finest example of
Wine Enthusiast 95 "Just classic Georges, balanced, elegant and refined, hiding its power under a blanket of controlled finesse. There’s great depth of flavor, with oodles
Wine Enthusiast 93 "Classic Georges, balanced and ageworthy, yet riper and lusher than any Private Reserve in memory. Magnificently ripe fruit, rich in currants and cocoa,
Connoisseurs Guide To Wine 92 "5% Merlot. A rich blanket of rooty, slightly briary spice overlies plenty of well-defined, cassis-like fruit in both the deep aromas
Wine Enthusiast 92 "A classic Rutherford Cab with full violet-ruby color and distinctive local aromas of black cherry, dark olive and mineral, combined with hints of
Wine Enthusiast 95 "Classic structured, firm and soft at the same time, with a lyrical, creamy mouthfeel. The tannins are evident now, but that is characteristic
"Crafted in an old-world style, Pinot Noir has a rustic, easy-to-enjoy style. Ruby-red in color, the wine has a complex bouquet of spiced plum, strawberry
With a generous splash of Syrah, Dulcet is a New World interpretation of a Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The Syrah adds an unexpected spiciness and juicy, ripe
Wine Enthusiast 95 "Even in this vintage, which was not so great, Beaulieu has succeeded with this dramatic, classic Cabernet Sauvignon. Its absolutely delicious, offering a
Wine Spectator 91 "Blends ripe, fleshy plum and black cherry flavors with a subtle backbone of acidity and tannins. Slow to unfold, but does so gracefully,
"This wine exudes its sense of place- the personality and quality of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Napa Valley's Rutherford Bench. Our Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford Cabernet
Robert Parker 90 "The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford exhibits cedar, coffee and dark berry notes along with a dense ruby/purple color, a nice texture and a
" Distinctive local aromas of black cherry, olive and mineral balanced by medium acidity and supple tannins dominate this fine Rutherford expression. " ~ Winery
Wine Spectator 90 " According to Wine Spectator - Glides along, offering an alluring mix of dense, dark blueberry, melted black licorice, grippy loamy earth and
" The fruit-focused aromas and flavors take center stage, while subtle vanilla-oak and mocha nuances from barrel aging linger in the background. The cool growing
Our 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon reflects the superb vintage with its deep, saturated blackberry, black cherry and ripe plum aromas and plush, saturated flavors. Hints of
" Our 2013 Carneros Pinot Noir offers bright, elegant layers of cherry, cranberry, blueberry and fig, perfumed with an exotic floral note. Gentle hints of