Jason Keefer

9.1

Very nice fallet entry level ‘pagne! Super refreshing. Tart green apple and calcareous. — 3 years ago

with Natasha

Jim Wagonfeld

9.3

The casual wine drinker at dinner
said “now I understand why people talk about drinking burgundy”. Not quite “a dart to the heart” but close. Gorgeous. — 5 years ago

with Judy

Roger Ray

9.3

"this generous wine displays luscious ripe dart fruits, vanilla, coffee and smoky mocha flavors with layers of creamy chocolate on the nose and palate" — 6 years ago

John Van Trijp

9.0

Too dry for me — 6 years ago

Deborah Lyman

8.9

Dart cherries on the nose, nice color. Little to no tannins and definitely a dart berry it cheery finish. Not bad for a less expensive red. Would pair great with most red meats. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It’s a weekend of 95’s. We had a bottle of their 96 about a year ago. Time to try the 95. On the nose; I get dark currants, a cognac/eau de vie character, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, stewed black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, anise, cinnamon, vanilla, light spice, black tea, dark cola, light eucalyptus, bay leaf, dry top soil, crushed dry rocks, dry stems and fresh & dry dark florals. The body is medium with soft, round Rutherford dusty tannins. It’s very integrated, layered and complex. The fruits are fresh, ripe and juicy. Blackberries, dark cherries, stewed black plum, black raspberries, blueberries, strawberries paint the background, cognac/eau de vie character, mocha, caramel, dark spice, light clove, cinnamon, vanilla, suede style leather, dart crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry stems, eucalyptus, bay leaf, mint, steeped tea, violets and fresh & dry dark florals. The acidity is excellent. The structure is still rather big for a wine that’s been in the bottle 20 years. Great length and balance. The long finish is gorgeously lush and beautiful. This 95 might be a touch better than the 96 from a year ago. Still has another 7-10 years of good drinking ahead. Appreciate the 13.5% alcohol. Much more palatable than the 14.5/15-15+ in today’s Napa Cabernet’s. I am more and more convinced that not only is the Tapestry a great value, but you should wait 20 years in the right vintages to enjoy them. There’re just simply that much better! Photos of; the tasting building on Hwy 29, Founder Georges de Latour, sunset road signage and their tasting room. Since they are one of the first Napa wineries, here are their historical and producer notes. BV took its name from the French translation of the term “Beautiful Place”. BV was founded in 1904 by Georges de Latour when he obtained 40 acres of vines cultivated in the late 1870’s. His first purchase in California came when Latour bought the Ewer and Atkinson Winery. The purchase came with a vineyard first cultivated in 1880. Those purchases became larger in 1907 when he obtained the Hastings vineyard just east from Rutherford. Around the time of those purchases, Georges de Latour moved from France to California. He was no stranger to the wine industry as he was well known for selling phylloxera resistant root stock to growers in California. The vineyard started to come together in 1900, when Georges de Latour began purchasing vines in Rutherford. The initial wines released by BV were made from purchased grapes, or wines that were produced by other growers, as their vineyards were not yet productive. Georges de Latour was a person who never passed on a good opportunities. During Prohibition, he purchased vineyards at reduced prices, as they were being abandoned. BV managed to thrive during Prohibition due to their production of wine for religious services. BV was one of the first Napa Valley estates to begin using modern, French wine making techniques. They also credited for making the first wine produced from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, BV Private Reserve. None of this could have been accomplished without the assistance of Andre Tchelistcheff. Andre was hired by Georges de Latour and moved to California from France in 1938. Andre was responsible for introducing many of the modern wine making techniques that were used in Europe. It was Andre who began thinking about frost protection during the growing season. He also pioneered the need for proper sanitation and the use of small, French oak barrels for aging of the wine. He also insisted that malolactic fermentation become part of the wine making process. Andre eliminated pasteurization and introduced the technique of cold fermentation to increase the color and concentration of the wine. As well, Andre introduced modern, viticulture practices of Europe. He began replanting the vineyards with higher levels of density, reducing the amount of sulfur used in the vineyards. More importantly, Andre focused on planting high quality French grape varietals. It was Andre that helped Cabernet Sauvignon get its start in the Napa Valley. He was also responsible for bringing Pinot Noir to Napa, but soon agreed that the cooler climates of Sonoma was better for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Geroges de Latour passed away in 1940. After his passing, day to day operations were taken over by his wife and daughter, with the continued aid of Andre Tchelistcheff. The company continued to grow and by the early 1960’s BV was selling nearly a 100,000 cases of wine per year. In 1969, BV was sold to Heublin. The winery was later purchased by Diageo, who in turn sold the vineyards to Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates in 2015. BV is one of the largest land owners in Napa Valley with more 1,100 acres under vine. Their best parcels are located in the Rutherford appellation. They’ve planted of all the major Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Additionally some, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. They also maintain a vineyard that is used to experiment with a wide variety of different grape varieties including; Carignane, Petite Sirah and Valdiguie. — 7 years ago

Joan Ziegler

9.2

2008 vintage. Celebrating with Ray in Menlo Park. Very special! — 4 years ago

W Box

9.3

En magnum. — 4 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.1

Cos! Ah 1988, a dart board vintage. This one has a roasty, coffee, stemmy life ahead. — 6 years ago

with Mark and Matt

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

NV / non dose vibrant, elegance true to type champagne — 6 years ago

Alex Jones

Marketing/Development Kunni/Westerly Wines

9.1

Tart dart cherry, red crayon wax and plum. Was delicious from the beginning and left wanting more. — 7 years ago

Tommy Fogarty

Owner Thomas Fogarty Winery

9.5

I could drink this a lot. — 7 years ago

with James and Lily

WineMascot

9.3

2003, a well balanced warm weather Hermotage. Dart cherry, hint smoked meat and tobacco leaf — 8 years ago

with Jeff, Mandi and 1 other

Jon Ebsworth

9.0

Fresh saline Picpoul in the sunshine on the River Dart with roared scallops — 8 years ago

Paul T HB

9.5

Off the truck again, nice Chardonnay considering I didn’t give it a proper hold. Next bottle will be held in storage.

Winemaker’s Notes

The old vines at Lorenzo Vineyard produce one of our most distinctive wines each vintage - a bottling of deep concentration and completely transparent style that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere – terroir in action! These deep-rooted, low-yielding old vines offer such an astonishing level of dense fruit extract and botanical, savory complexity, that winemaking technique fades into the background as the vineyard expression holds sway. Very few vineyards are this dynamic.

For the 2019 bottling, there’s slightly less acidity than its 2018 predecessor, so this vintage has an opulence and viscosity that amplifies the texture of the wine, creating a sense of oily richness that is simply magical.

Piercing aromas of grapefruit and pear with thyme blossom, fresh mint, lemongrass, and lilac. The palate is immediately tangy and electric, precise and dynamic, before the wine’s deep texture and oily viscosity absorbs this vibrancy. Notes of sweet sage and fragrant botanicals dart in and out. The flavors are long, intense, and drawn out, pulsating to a long finish that features white pepper, grapefruit zest and flint. Serve at 58F – not too cool – and drink between 2022 and 2032. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I love this second wine of Latour and the 2009 is outstanding.

The nose shows, brightly floral, ripe and slightly stewed fruits of; dark cherries, blackberries, strawberries, black raspberries & haunting blueberries on the high nose. Beautiful, soft, dark spices, leather, graphite, light tobacco, red licorice, dry brush, limestone, dart crushed rocks, anise to black licorice, coffee, steeped tea, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick with brightly floral; red, dark, blue flowers with violets & hints of lavender.

The body is just full, round, silky and shows the astounding beauty & elegance of 2009. The structure, tension, length and balance are nicely knitted together. Brightly floral, ripe and slightly stewed fruits of; dark cherries, blackberries, strawberries, black raspberries & haunting blueberries. Beautiful, soft, dark spices, leather, graphite, light tobacco, red licorice, dry brush, limestone, dart crushed rocks, rich, dark, moist earth, anise to black licorice, coffee, steeped tea, herbal notes, eucalyptus, saline, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick with brightly floral; red, dark, blue flowers with violets & hints of lavender. The acidity is dead on. The finish dances on the palate. It is perfectly balanced and elegant as hell. Just misses 9.5. If I had a whole bottle, it would get elevated. This wine in another 10 plus years to 35 years of age will stun.

Photos of; Chateau Latour, stainless tanks, library room that I would love to raid and barrel room. — 6 years ago

Leo Gentile

9.2

Very light straw/lemon in the flute. Citrusy with a toasty nose. Faint yeast note on the nose and finish. Long lovely finish on the palette. — 7 years ago

Josh Hayes

9.5

Dart fruits with a peppery finish. Great with food. — 7 years ago

Noel Geisen

9.4

helder goudgeel, fijne mousse, weinig belletjes. Iets boenwas in de neus, geen brioche, wel fris, peer, lijm.
Koude aanzet, mooie friszure citrus, heerlijk moesje,:mooue volle smaak, lange afdronk met zacht bittertje, rijpe prachtige champagne. — 7 years ago

Gordon L

9.1

Very nice for an expensive NV Rose! — 8 years ago