BV Georges de Latour Reserve 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

A legendary wine, the Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet has been a standard bearer for Napa Valley Cabernets for over 60 years, going back to the legendary Andr Tchelistcheff who produced the first bottling in 1936 and every subsequent bottling until he died in 1994. Now Beaulieu Vineyards has built an all-new modern winery just to produce Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet.

Grapes were hand selected grapes from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon vines from the western bench of the Rutherford AVA in BV's iconic BV Ranches No. 1 and No. 2, originally planted by Georges de Latour in the early 1900s. Focused on clonal selections (6, 4, 169, 5197, 7 and 8), which yield small berries with the high skin-to-juice ratio, 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 chosen vines are deeply rooted in the well-draining alluvial fan soils of Rutherford, considered one of the finest regions of Napa Valley for Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is fermented in roughly 50% new French oak barrels which provides early integration and enhances the dense, rich texture. The balance of the must was fermented in stainless steel and concrete fermenters which preserves the freshness of the fruit. Following judicious extended skin contact and in-barrel malolactic fermentation, the wine was pressed and returned to barrels for aging. A small amount of Petit Verdot was blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon to further enhance the wine’s aroma and flavor profile.

For this 2016 vintage, they took more care in selecting the barrels chosen specifically for crafting Georges de Latour. They narrowed down their barrel coopers to the top 10 premium barrels to craft a Cabernet with incredible structure without any of the harsh grippy, astringent tannins that are sometimes associated with Napa Cabernet. This barrel regime is very important to the elevated quality of Georges de Latour Private Reserve.

James Suckling scored this 98 points saying "The intensity of fruit in the nose is so impressive with blackberries, blackcurrants and lavender. Extremely aromatic. Full-bodied, tight and focused with polished and chewy tannins. Blackberries, currants, walnuts and hazelnuts on the palate. Solid core of fruit and ripe tannins. Classically structured. 97% cabernet sauvignon with petit verdot. Don’t try this until 2022 and onwards."

Jeb Dunnuck scored this 97 points saying "The flagship cuvée, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve is all Cabernet that spent 22 months in 90% new French oak. Deep purple-hued with notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, tobacco, and graphite, with a whiff of dark chocolate, it hits the palate with medium to full body, nicely integrated acidity and tannins, notable purity of fruit and a great finish. This classic, structured, balanced Napa Cabernet needs a solid 5-7 years of bottle age and will age gracefully for 25+ years. Utterly classic, world class juice!"

Vinous scored this wine 96 points saying "Bright full ruby. Vibrant, pristine aromas of crushed blueberry, blackberry, cassis, violet, licorice and wild herbs, plus a hint of dusty cocoa powder. Remarkably plush on entry, hinting at an almost chocolatey ripeness, then large-scaled, dense and chewy in the middle palate, with harmonious acidity and a distinctly savory quality leavening the sweetness of the wine's berry fruit. Turns sweeter again on the wonderfully long, aromatic aftertaste, which boasts noble, perfectly integrated tannins and outstanding lift. Still a baby but has all the elements for greatness. Beaulieu will introduce this wine in the fall as a centerpiece of their 80th anniversary celebration and it will be a crowd-pleaser. It's hard to compare any wine to the '68, but this may eventually prove to be the best vintage of the Private Reserve since that magical wine."


The Wine Advocate scored this 97 points saying "Blended of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot matured for 22 months in French oak, 90% new, this vintage has an alcohol level of 14.9%. Deep garnet purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour is still incredibly youthful. Sporting notions of cedar and cinnamon toast to begin, the nose opens out beautiful notes of warm cassis, crushed red and black plums and kirsch with floral hints of roses and candied violets. Sparks of crushed rocks and cast iron pan plus a touch of dried herbs emerge with coaxing. Full-bodied, rich, bold and energetic in the mouth, the palate reveals a very firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long with beautiful mineral accents."