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2018 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$160.00
Bottle
Price
$160.00
$1,920.00
Case
(12)
Price
$1,920.00
Member Pricing
Tasting Notes
The 2018 Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is exceptional, with a beautifully expressive nose full of ripe berry fruit aromas of raspberry, red currant, black cherry and black currant, alongside hints of fresh chaparral herbs like wild lavender, violet and rose, fresh mint, sage, bay laurel and juniper berry. Perfumed exotic spice notes from the well-integrated aging in new French oak barrels adds vanilla, cedar, clove and cinnamon, and also supports the lush fruit, showcasing the depth, concentration, and balance of this extraordinary Cabernet. Full-bodied with breadth and weight, the rich expansive palate is layered with robust flavors of black cherry, red currant, thyme, leather, sweet tobacco leaf and rose petal. Signature “Rutherford Dust” tannins add a velvety-rich, cocoa-powder texture, supple length and firm presence to the lengthy finish, while secondary notes of earth, clay, dark chocolate and espresso dance on the palate until your next sip. The mouthwatering palate is silky, ethereal and sinewy, with a line of vibrant acidity, while also seamlessly integrating with the full-bodied texture, crafting a wine that is nuanced, indulgent and plentiful, offering layers of complexity, depth and structure. Inviting and beguiling now, this Cabernet is youthful and spirited, but will surely allow for age-worthiness for many years to come, if you can keep your hands off it.Technical Information
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Blend | 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec |
| Oak Treatment | 22 months of aging in French oak (95% new barrels) |
| Alcohol % | 14.5% |
| Enclosure Type | Cork |
| pH | 3.76 |
Scores & Accolades
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98“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 is a fine addition to the lineage of one of Napa Valley's most historic wines. Inky red fruit, chocolate, leather and licorice all open in the glass. Aeration brings out floral top notes, raspberry and a hint of blood orange. There is plenty of depth, but the tannins are finer than they were a few years ago. Shorter time on the skins and a reduction in barrel fermentations really allow the pedigree of these Rutherford sites to come through. The 2018 is sensational.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2021
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98“Blackberry, blackcurrant and mint with some sage and crushed-stone undertones. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are in-check and nicely polished. Smoke, toasted oak and bark at the end, complementing the fresh yet ripe fruit. Drink after 2024.” - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, June 2021
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97+“The flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges De Latour Private Reserve is a gorgeous wine from this team that's reminiscent of the 2016, if not slightly more tannic. Blackcurrants, cassis, tobacco leaf, and nicely integrated oak all make an appearance, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a beautiful sense of purity and freshness, flawless balance, and a great finish. It has plenty of structure and, like a lot of 2018s, not a huge amount of baby fat, which gives it a firmer, more age-worthy vibe. While it's unquestionably approachable today, do your best to hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it should have a gradual evolution over the coming 20-25 years. I followed this bottle for multiple days and it only improved. It's brilliant, seamless wine in the making.” - Jeb Dunnuck, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, May 4, 2022
Winemaking
At our state-of-the-art winery, dedicated exclusively to the crafting of the Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a portion of the wine is fermented in new French oak barrels which provides early integration and enhances the dense, rich texture. The balance of the must is fermented in stainless steel and concrete tanks which preserves the freshness of the fruit. Following judicious extended skin contact, the wine was pressed and returned to barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. A small amount of Petit Verdot and Malbec were blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon to further enhance the wine’s aroma and flavor profile. We work very closely with our barrel producers, being highly selective in the limited number of cooperages we use, as well as ensuring the style and consistency of the barrel is exactly right and an appropriate match to the style we’re aiming for when crafting our Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This barrel regime is very important to the elevated quality of this wine.Vintage
The Napa Valley region enjoyed a stunning, near picture-perfect 2018 growing season including good winter rains, mild spring weather and steady temperatures throughout that allowed for even flowering and bud break. These ideal growing conditions were followed by a cool, even and slow-paced harvest which allowed the winery to vinify wines at a gentle pace. The resulting 2018 Cabernets are of very high quality with plenty of concentrated flavors, color and excellent acidity.Vineyard
We hand selected grapes from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon vines from the western bench of the Rutherford AVA in our iconic BV Ranches No. 1 and No. 2, originally planted by Georges de Latour in the early 1900s. We focused on clonal selections (6, 4, 169, 7 and 8), which yield small berries with the high skin-to-juice ratio needed to make intense, long-lived wines. The fruit was handpicked and optically sorted once it arrived to the winery in order to ensure the highest quality selection. These specifically chosen vines are deeply rooted in the well-draining alluvial fan soils of Rutherford, considered one of the finest regions in the Napa Valley for Cabernet Sauvignon.