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2021 Beaulieu Vineyard Clone 169 Cabernet Sauvignon
$190.00
Bottle
Price
$190.00
$2,280.00
Case
(12)
Price
$2,280.00
Member Pricing
Tasting Notes
The 2021 Clone 169 Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning wine that displays elegance and finesse from the very first sip. On the nose, it debuts with scents of cassis, blueberry, and plum, followed by complementary hints of violet and bittersweet chocolate. Its savory, structured palate is characterized by a dried red fruit profile, notably cranberry, with subtle touches of black tea and herbal chamomile. The fine-grained Rutherford Dust tannins provide a plush texture and richness mid-palate, while acidity balances the blend and leads to a silky-smooth finish. This wine is capable of maturing beautifully for up to 20 years.Technical Information
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Volume | 750mL |
| Appellation | Napa Valley |
| Blend | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Oak Treatment | 22 months in French oak (100% new) |
| Alcohol % | 14.9% |
| Enclosure Type | Cork |
| pH | 3.78 |
Winemaking
At our state-of-the-art winery dedicated exclusively to the production of our Reserve wines, we utilized the latest technology to destem and optically-sort the berries to retain only the highest quality fruit. Cold-soaking of the must and gentle pump-overs extracted the flavor-rich skins into the juice. Upon completion of primary fermentation, we pressed the skins and transferred the wine into new French oak barrels for in-barrel malolactic fermentation and aging for 22 months. Because of the unique and wonderful character of this clonal selection, we treat the wine as a separate lot and bottle a very limited amount.Vintage
The 2021 season was joyous and welcome after the challenges of prior vintages. Harvest yielded exceptionally fine fruit, some of the best in recent years. Early winter rains led to almost no notable precipitation for the rest of the growing season, providing ideal weather for grapes to flower, bloom, and set in early spring. Budbreak occurred early in April, followed by flowering and bloom in May. The summer saw early and even ripening throughout the valley, with veraison beginning in early July. Due in part to drought conditions, harvest yields were low, and grapes were intensely flavored and smaller in berry size. One of the earliest starts, harvest began with white wine grapes in late July and proceeded with red wine grapes about a month later, at the end of August. From these optimally ripe and flavorful grapes our winemakers crafted lush, fruity wines with amazing color extraction, aromatic intensity, balance, and structure. 2021 was a tremendous year to taste the nuances and terroir distinctions from around the valley.Vineyard
The Cabernet 169 clone is a French, Bordeaux clone that was introduced to the US and planted by UC Davis in 2003. Since then, it has been gaining popularity in all the major Cabernet-growing regions. We conducted a 14-year series of trials in conjunction with UC Davis to identify Cabernet Sauvignon clones best suited to our Rutherford Bench terroir. Clone 169 was ultimately selected for grafting to rootstocks planted in the well-draining, alluvial fan soils of our estate vineyard. As a component of our Georges de Latour and other reserve Cabernet Sauvignons, Clone 169 has good berry size, high vigor, and a well- balanced acid to sugar ratio. It was created to produce a big, bold Cabernet with intense complexity, and the wine can be higher in alcohol, depending on the winemaking style. The color is a vibrant, deep red and the mouthfeel tends to be powerful with a lingering finish.