This Cabernet Sauvignon truly expresses its Rutherford AVA sourcing with tremendous saturation of color, aromas and flavors. The nose is ripe with fresh dark blackberry, black cherry and cassis notes alongside nuances of floral violet and sweet oak spices. On the palate, there are darker fruit notes supported by hints of dark chocolate and anise seed. The structured 'Rutherford dust' tannins are fine grained and more rustic in style for this vintage, showcasing the signature fine cocoa powder texture and expansive mouthfeel. Incredibly elegant and balanced, with vibrant acidity from the perfect growing season provides concentration, depth and freshness on the finish.
Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
---|---|
Vintage | 2016 |
Appellation | Napa Valley |
Blend | 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec |
Oak Treatment | 15 months in French, American and European oak, with 60% new barrels |
Alcohol % | 14.6% |
Enclosure Type | Cork |
Case Production | 22024 cases |
pH | 3.54 |
"Considering this is the biggest production wine from this producer, it's really impressive. Redcurrants, blackcurrants, spearmint, aniseed, cedar, sage and pine needles. Very refined with fresh berries, interlaced between savory notes, the layers of tannins driven along by bright acidity. Drink now or hold. Better after 2021." - James Sucking, May 2019
We cold soaked the destemmed grapes for two to three days for gentle flavor extraction, which develops the elegant, layered fruit expression that is inherent in Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. During the eight- to twelve-day fermentation, we pumped over the cap to incorporate the flavor-rich skins into the juice. To balance the bold fruit expression with toasty oak character, we chose more than half new oak for barrel aging and added Petit Verdot, Petit Sirah and Merlot to enhance the complex flavor profile.
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.
The extended drought was causing concern as the 2016 growing season kicked off, but welcomed winter rain hinted at the relief to come. After a relatively dry January we enjoyed significant rainfall in February, along with mild temperatures. Bud break was early, but was slowed by heavy April showers. While still early by historical standards, picking began about a week later than 2015, around Labor Day, and continued at a leisurely pace, allowing the grapes to reach full flavor maturity. A traditionally-sized harvest followed the lighter showing of 2015, and the extended mild season helped balance the acids and add complexity to the layers of flavors. Considered a perfect harvest and a winemaker's dream vintage, conditions were perfect for producing a Cabernet with beautiful fruit as well as tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.
We selected 80 percent of the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine from vineyard blocks in our historic BV Ranches No. 1, No. 2 and No.10, which provided the concentrated dark-fruit character and firm structure that we desired. These vineyards, located on the Rutherford Bench, have alluvial fan soils - ;composed of gravel, sand and loam - ;that allow the vines to root deeply and develop complex minerality in the grapes. The balance came from highly regarded growers whom we have worked closely with us for many years.
To create a better experience for you across all of our brands, we’ll check this info with accounts across the Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio of brands: Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyard, Etude, Hewitt Vineyard, Stags' Leap, Sterling, Penfolds, and TheWineShop.
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