Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is surprisingly for sale through Delectable...buy a bottle. If you haven’t had a well made Napa Cabernet this old, it’s a fun & enjoyable experience. This is a library selection release and was it a steal for under $50. Its a very classic BV. Especially, for the time period. On the nose; notes of Cognac; which I get in older BV’s. Ripe & slightly baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, rhubarb, figs, dates, cherries, dry, loamy, brown, top soil, steeped tea, dry & decayed brown florals with violets. The body is leaner to medium. Tannins completely resolved. There are noticeable tannins but it’s the acidity holding this wine together so well. The palate is ripe with baked fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, rhubarb, figs, dates, cherries, strawberries, and notes of light blue fruit. Some black licorice, cognac notes are very present on the palate. Loamy, brown, top soil, steeped tea, soft spice, clove, used leather, very soft chalky volcanic minerals, crushed dry rocks, dry & decayed dark florals with violets. The acidity is like rain. The well balanced finish is long and beautiful. Photos of their tasting room on Hwy 29, Rutherford vineyard just after harvest and tasting room on 29. Producer notes and history... Beaulieu Vineyard BV is a vineyard near Rutherford, California locates in the Rutherford AVA. It was established by Georges de Latour and his wife Fernande in 1900. BV was an initial a purchase of 4 acres of land in 1900. Beaulieu Vineyard derives its name from the French phrase "Quel beau lieu" which translates in English as "What a beautiful place!". Legend has it that Fernande uttered these words when she first saw the land. The following year, they purchased a nearby winery originally built by California Statje Senator Seneca Ewer in 1885. De Latour's knowledge about phylloxera; which had ravaged many Napa Valley vineyard and his decision to import a rootstock variety resistant to the pest helped secure his stature as one of the early pioneers of California's wine industry. When Prohibition in the United States began in 1920, most wineries in the country were forced to close. However, Beaulieu smartly obtained a contract to supply sacramental wine to churches nationwide. The demand for such wine increased dramatically during the years of Prohibition and the winery repeatedly expanded. By the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, production had grown to over 1 million US gallons per year. When Prohibition ended, Beaulieu hired Andre Tchelistcheff from France as winemaker and the quality of its wines increased significantly. Tchelistcheff also became a mentor to other important winemakers such as; Mike Grgich at Chateau Montelena who’s Chardonnay won (The Judgment of Paris), Joe Heitz of Heitz Wine Cellars, and Robert Mondavi. By the 1940s, Beaulieu wines were served at all major White House functions. In the mid-1940s, Beaulieu was owned by Marquis de Pins, whose wife was a member of the French wine-making de Latour family. In the 1950s and 1960s Beaulieu was considered one of the "big four" Napa Valley producers, along with Inglenook, Charles Krug (I have mad love for their 50’s & 60’s wines. Perhaps, their greatest period) and Louis Martini. The winery was purchased by international conglomerate Heublein Inc. in 1969. Heublein was later acquired by RJR Nabisco, then sold to Grand Metropolitan in 1987. Grand Metropolitan became Diageo in 1997 through a merger with Guinness and is now the largest multinational beer, wine and spirits company in the world. In 2016 Diageo sold Beaulieu Vineyard to Treasury Wine Estates. Between Treasury, Jackson Family Vineyards and Constellation, they own a huge chunk of the wine producing world. Beaulieu Vineyards is one of the largest land owners in Napa Valley with more 1,100 acres in vines. Their best parcels are located in the Rutherford appellation. They have plantings of all the major Bordeaux varieties; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. They also have vineyards with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. In addition, they maintain a vineyard that is used to experiment with a wide variety of different grape varieties including; Carignane, Petite Sirah and Valdiguies. Today, Winemaker Jeffrey Stambor continues the tradition of finely crafted wines handed down to him by legendary BV winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. — 8 years ago

Sean Trapani

Founder/Educator Wine Fluent, Consultant ABC Fine Wines & Spirits

9.0

Black raspberries dusted with cocoa powder. Light, but with confident, soft tannins. Paired remarkably well with broiled lobster tail. — 10 years ago

Jesus Beltran

9.1

Very nice red. Black currant with licorice, and layers of spice -- kind of like a Right Bank Bordeaux from the Saint Emilion area or even a Shiraz. Soft tannins, a smooth, velvety feel on the palate, and a lingering tail. — 10 years ago

Alishia Odom

9.0

Alishia had this 11 years ago

Vasudev Vadlamudi

9.3

Very soft and drinkable for straight gin. Long finish that reminds you what it is, though — 11 years ago

with Aaron

Ryan Riley

9.4

Color is a burgundy red or Crimson but around the edges there's a rust colored halo because this is about 10 years old. We are drinking it in 2014 but it was bottled in 2004. The Aroma is a metallic one but rich iron or rusty, and something like a very dark black cherry. The flavor: it's a rich dark powerful wine with strong tannins, and The mouth feel is cool and soft; no identifiable fruit flavors on the tongue but instead tar or earthiness, with a little spiciness, and it's astringent leaving The mouth dry. Tail is dry and characterized by tannins. — 11 years ago

Ashleigh Quiroz

9.0

Nice soft and smooth wine — 12 years ago

Philippe Dupuis

9.1

Distillation of spirits from apple, grapes and pears. Soft and aromatic, at its best served chilled or on the rocks, no need to cocktail this fine gin in my opinion #madeinquebec #domainelafrance — 8 years ago

Matt Lichtenberg

9.4

I just love the 01 & 02. Haven't had the 02 in ages and it is rocking with the Flannery shortloin tail. Showing beautifully and what a great qpr. Soft tannins, excellent balance, showing amazingly well at 15 years old. Going to vacuvin the remaining half of the bottle and see how it survives the night. — 8 years ago

Paul Jara

9.0

Soft , great price — 9 years ago

Alberto Salinas Sánchez

8.9

Fruity , soft...... perfect!!! — 9 years ago

Ron R

9.3

Tonight, we pay homage to @Diana L and @Joe Lucca for treating us like royalty over the weekend - thank you so much.

So, it's Joe's birthday soon, and we purchased this bottle for him. But my goldfish-like brain had forgotten he already had some, so we decided to dive into it and give him some Yellow Tail instead!

In the glass, the wine appears as dark as the night. On the nose, I get maple syrup, kirsch, cinnamon and loamy earth. The palette reveals soft wood notes, intertwined with syrop de cassis and red licorice. Tannins are relatively soft and plush. The endnote is sweet and velvety. This is a great wine, but lacks something that I can't quite describe; sorry. — 10 years ago

with Anne-marie

Kevin Russell

9.5

Sherry like at first, where over the course of dinner became evenly soft, smooth and drank lovely with the wild deer ham, nettle soup, and ox-tail tongue--stunning wine! — 11 years ago

Ned

9.1

Delicious white wine. Soft yet acidic. perfect with out lobster tail for Valentine's day. beautiful crisp finish and delicious balance between citrus and rich. — 11 years ago

with Brittany

Evan Roberts

9.0

Purchased it on its release and brought it with me from Wisconsin back in 1999. The wine is holding out but at the tail end, pepper, bell pepper, leather. Lovely soft finish. — 11 years ago

Eric Hwang

9.2

The best limoncello I've tasted. — 12 years ago

Poochy Rodríguez

9.7

Soft, delicious — 13 years ago

Johnno Harris

9.5

Ripper Chardonnay. Polished and complex. Seamless and generous stone fruit with soft citrus frame and tail. Integrated oak. Immensely satisfying after a busy busy night. Thumbs up from all the MH crew. 👍🏼👍🏼 — 8 years ago

Severn G

9.0

Soft or tired, or needing more cellar time, depends on your perspective. Reduced Blueberry-Pomegranate, mocha jam, if that's a thing...only light barrel notes are at the tail of the finish. — 8 years ago

Adam Smith

9.2

Subtly sweet, like a sugar dipped lemon. Easily drinkable, slightly tart finish. Clean and smooth from the stainless steel. Citrus, buttery, soft and delicately sweet — 9 years ago

Robert Torretti

9.2

The last of three bottles I got my hands on thanks to Flatiron Wine & Spirits! About two years since I'd had it last and with a similar white truffle celebration. Lovely Côte de Beaune red. Opened ~20 minutes before serving to get a little air. Served at the tail end of the white truffles and simple pasta and throughout the roasted duck breast course. seemed to lack the punch both on nose and palate of last time, but may be because we served it after the Barolo and Barbaresco. — 9 years ago

Mark Eastom

9.2

Amazing with ox tail.. Floral, rose peddle, earth, funk, orange rind, soft tannin and amazing.. — 10 years ago

with Douglas

A. K.

9.5

A soft, gentle, elegant wine. Tannins arch palette forward, with a bit of a long tail, but are never bitting. Slight earthy mushroom funk and cassis. This isn't a wine for a heavy meal or a blizzard - light fall air is where she shines. — 10 years ago

L'Objet Wines

9.2

This wine is delicious with braised ox tail and saffron polenta! Soft velvety with nice floral notes on the nose. — 11 years ago

Me Meme

9.6

Fruity and soft! Very yummy to sip on! — 11 years ago

Ryan Riley

9.0

Aroma is quite pleasant and strong, of roses.

very soft on the palate with a light strawberry sweetness at the start followed by medium tannins in the middle and in the tail. The tail is quite long and a bit like strawberries. Because it's fairly dry and has solid tannins it tastes a bit like dried strawberries but ones that have been on the vine a long time, dark and super ripe and high sugar content. The tannins gradually intensify and this seems to bring with it a spiciness. This wine is excellent, despite not having much complexity or many layers--it accomplishes this I think by having a few delicious flavors paired with great balance and subtlety. The flavors and aromas are all quite similar to roses, strawberries, cherries, and similar foods, so easily identifiable and likable. — 11 years ago

Eric Hwang

9.5

Smooth beyond belief. — 12 years ago