Wine Advisor
Beaulieu Vineyard, BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1985
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour was aged for 2.5 years in 50-gallon American oak barrels. It came in at 13% alcohol. Pale tawny colored, a whiff of balsamic/volatile acidity leads to notions of dusty soil, tree bark and oolong tea over a core of kirsch and truffles plus a hint of red loam. Light to medium-bodied, elegant and refreshing, the tannins are going a little powdery, and there is some fragile fruit clinging to the mid-palate, finishing a little abruptly. 19,600 cases were produced.
About the Producer
Beaulieu Vineyard is a beautiful story about a beautiful vineyard. To surprise their dear wife, Georges and Fernande de Latour bought a four-hectare plot of vines and a house called Rutherford in the Napa Valley in the United States in May 1900, and a new era began. When Madame Fernande first saw the land, she exclaimed "Quel Beaulieu", a French phrase meaning "a beautiful piece of land", and that was the name of the winery. This was a very sound investment on the part of the De Latour family. In fact, soon after buying the property, the vines were attacked by aphids, and it was thanks to Mr. Georges' planting knowledge that the aphid-infested vines were cured and within ten years a million vines with aphid-resistant roots were produced, rejuvenating the winemaking business in the Napa Valley. Mr. Georges became a well-known and most influential figure in the region. In 1940, BV also provided the wines required for the White House banquet, which was praised by celebrities such as Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister.
