1970 | Cabernet Sauvignon
Beaulieu Vineyard; Georges de Latour Private Reserve
Napa Valley; California, USA
(95-97; Drink 2025-40+)
3h decant
Nose has ripe cherry, cedar++, charcoal, grilled black cherry, faint olive and over-ripe blackberry.
Palate has dried cherry/blackberry, tobacco, strawberry, vanilla, dried mint, leather with medium+ tannins and plenty of acidity to hold for decades.
Epic, even besting the 1968 & 1995 for my palate!
Happy Father's Day 2024 to all. — 3 months ago
Really like this! Not sweet, it’s crisp and refreshing. Had with Christmas dinner this year 2023- great with cheeses. It’s a great go-to. And it’s under $15 — 8 months ago
First wine since July trips! Back label: This 25-acre vineyard, planted in day and limestone soils, is situated in Salignac Gironde, 15 miles northeast of Bordeaux. He belongs to the Comtes de Tastes. Welldrained, south-facing slopes explain the name : Beaulieu, or
"beautiful plage".
Under the enlightened management of Count Vianney de Tastes, cover tropping, "green-harvesting" and leaf-pulling are the rule.
Consequently, yields are very low for the appellation at just 2,5 tons/acre, the equivalent of one bottle of wine per vine.
The 15-year old vines include 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. At 2,226 vines/acre, density is twice the average of most New World vineyards!
The hand-harvested fruit undergoes a pre-fermentation, cold maceration (3-5 days) after which the juice is slowly fermented (10-15 days), and then macerated for as long as taste (Tastes?) deems necessary. Malolactic then takes place in barrel, 60% of which are new.
The wine is aged on its lees for 12 months, gaining additional richness, freshness, and complexity and then bottled on the estate. Enjoy it now and over the next 5-7 years. Nice wine with complexity, earthy plummy aromas and lively palate. — 12 days ago
The one thing I get from this wine w/ this age is cognac notes and the 07 is just starting cognac notes on the long set. Still, rounded, medium plus, velvety tannins.
The fruits are ripe, juicy, lush; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, darkest cherries, & red cherries on the long set, strawberry hues. Chocolate/ cake/pudding/mousse, dark berry cola, mocha, dark chocolate, caramel, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, anise core to black licorice, dark spice w/ palate heat, dry, crush rock, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, liquid, dry herbaceous notes, fresh to withering; dark, red, slightly blue flowers framed in a field of violets & lavender, round, summer rainfall with a softly tensioned state, tall structure, well balanced, finely but deeply knitted & evenly polish finish that is nearly endless.
If you can have patience, Tapestry is one of the best Napa Cabernet for the money & this one has plenty of life ahead. 10 plus years.
Photos of; sunset on a BV vineyard, their tasting from many vantage points & old Victorian House. — 2 months ago
Another Treasury Employee Store find for $8. Excellent price/value bottle of wine. I wish you could find this kind of wine on restaurant wine lists for their low end offerings. — 7 months ago
Tobacco. Structure. Great with steak. Not too much fruit — 2 months ago
wonderful wine. thx. Steve!!! — 3 months ago
Full bodied mouth feel - would definitely buy — 5 months ago
Tom Garland
Decant for sediment(lots of fine/cloudy sediment) and pour. A majestic tawny dark red color. On the nose: sweet port like with dried plum/cherry, herbaceous, rich soil, mushroom, pepper. Taste: Amazing! juicy, refined, balanced, savory wine with dried cherry, black raspberry, earth, tobacco, mint, and a nice mocha baking spice medium plus finish. YUM! Still delivering at 44 years, and glad to have a few more bottles. — 15 days ago