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2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Clone 4 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Clone 4 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Clone 4 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes

Tasting Note

A deep garnet-purple, this Cabernet Sauvignon's intense aromas and generous, fruit flavors are filled with layers of juicy black cherry, black raspberry, cassis and plum, followed by baking spice notes of nutmeg, cedar and a slight floral violet alongside a subtle brambly or savage (hence the grape's name) wild herb note on the lengthy, mouthwatering finish. The wine is fresh and lively, with beautiful balance and acidic lift, interwoven into a Cabernet of great intensity. Full, round and rich flavors are supported by firm, yet supple, tannins that are nicely balanced with the oak spice from new French oak barrels. While enjoyable now, this wine will continue to develop complexity in the bottle and will age well for another 20+ years when stored at ideal cellar temperatures.

Technical Information

Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage 2015
Appellation Napa Valley
Blend 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Oak Treatment 26 months in French oak, with 100% new barrels
Alcohol % 15.3%
Enclosure Type Cork
Case Production 250 cases
pH 3.61

Scores & Accolades

  • 94

    Wine Advocate

    "Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4 sings of creme de cassis, wild blueberries and dark chocolate with wafts of violets, kirsch, Indian spices and fragrant soil. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully opulent, it delivers a firm, fine-grained texture with a long, lively finish." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, October 2018

Winemaking

Winemaking

At our state-of-the-art winery, dedicated exclusively to the production of our Reserve wines, we hand sorted the destemmed berries of this clone to retain only the highest quality fruit. Cold soaking of the must and gentle punch-downs in open-top fermenters mixed the flavor-rich skins with the juice. Upon completion of primary fermentation, we pressed and transferred the wine to new French oak barrels for in-barrel malolactic fermentation and aging. Because of the uniqueness of the expression of this clonal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, we treat this wine as a special lot or single vineyard wine and this vintage was aged longer in bottle in order to release at its optimal expression.

Jeffrey Stambor - Former Winemaker

Jeffrey Stambor joined the Beaulieu Vineyard winemaking team in 1989 as a viticulturist/enologist. As the current director of winemaking, he leads production of the winery’s world-renowned Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon, and presided over the harvest and vinification of 2013 Rarity – the extremely limited release Cabernet Sauvignon blend. He is only the fourth director of winemaking in Beaulieu Vineyard’s history, and the third to craft Georges de Latour Private Reserve over the 77-year history of that iconic wine following Andre Tchelistcheff, the original winemaker, and his immediate predecessor, Joel Aiken.

Vintage

Vintage

A mild winter across California lead to early bud break in 2015 but limited rain and moderate temperatures throughout the growing season caused the overall length of the season to be consistent with years past. The yields in 2015 were slightly lower than the previous year, which lead to exceptional quality, resulting in a Cabernet with tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.

Vineyard

Rutherford AVA

Rutherford

Vineyard

In 1980, we began a 14-year series of trials in conjunction with UC Davis, to identify Cabernet Sauvignon clones best suited to our Rutherford Bench terroir. Two clones (4 and 6) were ultimately selected for grafting to rootstocks planted in the well-draining, alluvial fan soils of our estate vineyards. As a component of our Georges de Latour and other reserve Cabernet Sauvignons, Clone 4 gives the blend pronounced, lush, full flavors and has softer, more approachable tannins in its youth. Also known as the Mendoza clone, it was identified and isolated in Argentina and then brought to the United States. Known for its larger berries and tighter berry cluster, resulting in a Cabernet with lush, round and opulent style.

Former Winemaker Jeffrey Stambor

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