Ross Fulton

9.2

Three’s a charm, four’s a game of rounders — 7 years ago

Helen Fisher

9.0

Lovely English bubbly — 8 years ago

with Rob

Max Jewell

8.9

Really serious for the money. Good solid English sparkling — 9 years ago

James White

9.4

Lovey, really fresh, dry, apples, peach, hints of rose. — 9 years ago

Martin Richardson

9.0

Excellent. If only it didn't cost so much. — 9 years ago

Pierpaolo Petrassi MW

Master of Wine; Head of Beer, Wine & Spirits Waitrose

8.9

Delicious effort from the enthusiastic students at Plumpton (the English equivalent of UC Davis, San Michele or Roseworthy!) worth seeking out. — 10 years ago

Steve Rura

9.2

Cold sparkling English rosé vs. muggy East Coast humidity — 10 years ago

Matt H

9.0

Very dark, but smooth and bubbly and not as heavy as it appears. Tasty and easy to drink like a lager with notes of chocolate. — 10 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

Martin Frowde

9.0

Quite a pale coloured sparkling wine with a quite light bouquet of pear. The taste is a delightful but delicate ripe pear and lime. Quite soft and refreshing albeit the aftertaste is relatively short-lived. Lacks the complexity of a full blown champagne but I rank this 'grower' English sparkling wine as superior to Nyetimber's classic cuvée. Ultimately very quaffable and (currently) very good value. Recommended. — 9 years ago

with Georgina

Howard White

9.0

This was the 2010 vintage. It was a dry rose with good flavour.
Price point £17-20 — 10 years ago

Andrew Stover

Sommelier/Wine Director Oya & Sei, Wine Blogger ChiefWino, Founder Vino50

9.9

#Englishwine Court Gatden Classic Cuvée made with Chard, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir. Lively mousse. Notes of citrus peel, pear, apple plus almond, toasted brioche and wet stone. Long, racy finish. #wine #sommelier #sparkling #england — 11 years ago

Martin Richardson

9.5

My favourite. Tangfastic. — 8 years ago

James Coe

9.0

Delicious Bacchus! As good as Chapel Down? Very nearly!! — 8 years ago

Chad Culley

9.0

Rich fruit, but super racy finish — 9 years ago

Richard Hall

9.1

Really excellent. — 9 years ago

Erika Turner

9.5

Green apple brioche creamy goodness. First time tasting this and love it! — 9 years ago

with See

Marta Ogrodowska

9.0

Beautiful, just enough touch of creaminess, classy and lovely red sparkling — 9 years ago

David Sellen

9.2

2010 vintage — 10 years ago

Martin Richardson

9.2

Excellent. For when you're making barbecued swordfish for the mother in law. — 10 years ago

Fabio Priori

9.6

England, East Sussex, Hatch. (B-Day Present From John Hanson), Dec 2012?. — 11 years ago