Winemaker Notes

With this vintage, BV's Reserve Pinot Noir contains our first serious percentage of the new Dijon clone selections, in addition to several of the top BV selections propagated over the past four decades from our vineyards. The result is a wine with a dark ruby-violet color, more so than most Pinot Noirs reveal. The aromas evoke ripe cherry, even black fruits, with a touch of vanilla and black pepper along with spicy oak scents. On the palate, the wine shows medium full body, a rich velvety texture and flavors of dark cherry, game and cocoa. The mid-palate richness and concentration is reminiscent of a fine Cote de Nuits Burgundy, such as Nuits St. Georges. The finish is dense, powerful, slightly tannic still, and suggests the wine will need 4-6 years evolution. Great with roast lamb, game dishes and duck pasta.

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    Beaulieu Vineyard

    Beaulieu Vineyard

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    Beaulieu Vineyard Beaulieu Vineyard Winery Video

    Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve wines are handcrafted from the finest grapes of the vintage, focusing on premier estates in Rutherford, Carneros and other Napa Valley appellations. For more than 100 years, Beaulieu Vineyard has set the benchmark for rich, classic Napa Valley wines. Their legacy honors the marriage between state-of-the-art technology and gentle, traditional winemaking methods, a combination that enhances the expression of their remarkable vineyard terroir.

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    As early as the 1970s Carneros became known as a source of terrific Pinot Noir, and was one of the first California regions to gain such a reputation. The combination of sunny days, cooling fog and thin clay soils are tailor-made for the variety. Another factor in Pinot Noir’s prominent place here is vintners’ willingness to experiment widely. The history of the grape in Carneros is marked by continuous research into clonal variations, viticultural techniques and site selection. Careful evaluation over time has revealed a signature flavor profile as well. Complex aromas and flavors of cherry, red berry, spice, earth and cola appear time and again in Carneros Pinot Noir. To this day the appellation remains one of California’s standard bearers for the variety.

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