Mission Codename For Her
We’re delighted to welcome Beaulieu Vineyard back to our pages. We’ve been waiting for a great one to come along and, wow, we’ve found it.
While it lasts, we’re featuring the darkly delicious Beaulieu Vineyard 2013 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was the hit of our recent tasting panel. Everyone went crazy for it.
Super deep, concentrated and lush, with aromas of black cherry, black currant, black tea, fennel, mixed spice, cocoa dust, violet, coffee, and leather.
Boldly delicious and inviting on the palate, with very concentrated flavors of blackberry jam, chocolate covered black cherry, boysenberry, grilled fig, tobacco leaf, leather, spice and subtle cured meat.
The historic Beaulieu Vineyard winery was founded in 1900 by Georges de Latour. The name of the winery was coined when his wife, Fernande Latour, first saw the land that became their original Rutherford vineyard. Upon seeing the site, she declared it to be a “beau lieu,” or “beautiful place.”
Goerges de Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyard with the vision of “making Napa Valley wines that would rival those of his native France.” Well, mission accomplished, George. Your fine wines are some of the best, anywhere.
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Here’s what the wine press has to say:
90 points - Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate - “The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, usually a reasonably good value, offers plenty of fragrant cedar wood, fruitcake, and blackcurrants. It has loads of crème de cassis, full body, hard tannins, and some oak in the background. It is still slightly firm and coiled tight, but promising. I would give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-20 years.
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90 points - Connoisseurs Guide to CA Wines - “One of the measures of a very good vintage is how the year’s affordable wines perform, and this one makes a very good case that 2013 in Napa Valley was a very fine harvest for Cabernet Sauvignon. It leads with a classic varietal nose of cassis, loamy soil and sweetening notes of toast, and its well-defined flavors follow suit with an impression of precision and fruity depth that is all too rare at the price. So, too, does it earn high marks for its fleshy mouthfeel and careful balance and, while it is eminently enjoyable right now, it will age gracefully for five or six years.”
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Antonio Galloni, Vinous - “The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford is soft, pliant and accessible, with lovely mid-palate depth and balance. Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, mint and cinnamon are some of the many notes that grace the silky finish. Drink this attractive entry-level Cabernet over the next handful of years.”
What the Winery Says
2013 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Jeffrey Stambor
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage
- 2013
- Appellation
- St. Helena, Napa Valley
- Abv
- 14.5%