2013 Beaulieu Vineyard "Georges de Latour - Private Reserve" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the two flagship cuv̩es, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour is a fabulous wine. Obviously, this is the one wine that received the most meticulous attention from their outside consultant Michel Rolland. A great effort in 2013, as one might expect in this vintage, this wine needs 5-6 years and seems capable of lasting 30-40 or more, given the history of the great BV Private Reserves. Inky purple to the rim, with an extraordinary nose of cr̩me de cassis and kirsch, licorice, cedarwood, and a touch of underbrush, the wine hits the palate with a full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, dense style, has great acidity, moderately sweet tannin, and a long, long finish. This wine is young and still slightly unformed, but loaded with potential and upside. Forget it for 5-6 years and drink it over the following half-century. There has certainly been a qualitative uptick in the wines of this historic winery in Rutherford. It is most noticeable in their flagship wine, the BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and in 2013 they added magnums of a special cuv̩e with a longer ̩levage called Le Coeur, which will probably be the greatest BV Cabernet Sauvignon made since some of their legendary wines such as the 1951, 1968 and 1970. 95+ (RP)