Deep ruby color; cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, strawberry preserves, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, toasted oak, vanilla, floral potpourri on the nose and palate.
Dry; smooth tannins; balancing acidity (3.68 pH). Medium body, plush mouthfeel. Blend of 81% cabernet sauvignon with small amounts of other Bordeaux grapes and 3% petite sirah.
This wine works, which is praise for BV and winemaker Trevor Durling because 2022 in Napa was not a happy time. It started out promising with drought-busting rains in the winter (more than 18 inches). Budbreak came early and a warm spring led to early flowering. Summer was relatively Napa normal. Until September. A monster heat wave hit Northern California and persisted for almost a week in the most critical time in the vineyard. Temperatures soared well above 100: 117 in Napa town and Oakville, St. Helena hit 118. Such heat is beyond the tolerance for most vines. They simply shut down and stop ripening. Some growers harvested early to save what they had, others waited it out. To add more misery, after the heat wave, there was rain to complicate final ripening and the harvest.
The result was a mixed bag and a significant drop in the quantity of fruit. As Beaulieu buys fruit from growers throughout Napa (and is one of the largest vineyard owners), the key to their success was to obtain fruit with varying qualities then skillfully blending. Aged 15 months in French and European oak barrels, 30% new. While the BV 2022 does not match the quality of their stellar 2019, it still meets expected quality. This likely is a wine to be enjoyed now rather setting it down for a decade of aging. 14.3% ABV
Beaulieu Vineyard traces roots back more than a century. In 1900 Georges de Latour’s wife Fernande first looked upon their original Rutherford vineyard and proclaimed it a “beautiful place”. “Beau lieu” is French for “beautiful place.” De Latour imported phylloxera-resistant rootstock from Europe to the recently phylloxera-ravaged California wine country and built his vineyards. During Prohibition, Beaulieu Vineyard increased its business by selling sacramental wine to the Catholic Church.
After Prohibition repeal in 1933, Georges de Latour began research and innovation that would produce his Rutherford Estate’s finest expression. In 1938, he traveled to France and met André Tchelistcheff, famed viticulturist and enologist who stressed continuous innovation in vineyard and winery. In time, Tchelistcheff became Napa’s first superstar winemaker.
The international conglomerate Heublein Inc. purchased BV in 1969. RJR Nabisco acquired Heublein, then sold to Grand Metropolitan in 1987. Grand Metropolitan became Diageo in 1997 through a merger with Guinness. In 2016 Diageo sold Beaulieu Vineyard to Australian wine giant Treasury Wine Estates. The parade of owners has put strains on the winery’s vision and values, but the original Rutherford-Napa vineyards continue to deliver exceptional fruit to whomever the vineyard owner may be.
Amid the ownership turbulence, winemaker Jeffrey Stambor ably carried on the Georges de Latour and Tchelistcheff legacy, also working with famed “flying winemaker” Michel Rolland. In July 2017, Stambor announced he was leaving BV after almost three decades to form Jeffrey Stambor Wine Consulting. Trevor Durling became chief winemaker in 2017. Durling is only the fifth winemaker in the 120-year history of BV. Megan Twitchell is the assistant winemaker on this effort.
Beaulieu Vineyard BV Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2022 maintains its reputation as a quality Napa cab even when challenged by significant weather headwinds. Smooth tannins and tasty, fresh fruit make for an easy drinker with aromatic complexity. Pair with rich meat dishes; ribeye steak and other grilled beef; venison, buffalo; lamb; Italian fare featuring meat and mushrooms; grilled portobello, shiitake, or porcini mushrooms; roasted beet salad. Cheese—go with milder cheeses; saint-nectaire, brie, young camembert, raclette, monterey jack, fresh mozzarella. $25-35
