Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Still bright, fruit at center Great secondary notes - leather, cigar box Awesome wine!!

1996 vintage

Still drinking absolutely beautifully. Even a few more years would still be prime. Surprised how tannic it still is. Barley there, but still there. Beautifully integrated tannins and acidity. Loooong finish. Nose is tawny, fruity and mellow now. But the mouthfeel is heaven. Followed by dark red fruits, boysenberry, leather and vanilla black cherry. A hint of cola.

1992 vintage

Did a quick Coravin sip. Not well represented.

1974 vintage

Very smooth , zero tannins but a bit light

This year of Bv wines was from when they had a cork problem. They came out and said wines from 1998-2000 had bad corks potentially and mine was definitely one of them. I would just stay away from these years all together

1999 vintage

Maybe it is corked. It is corked.

2022 vintage

Just starting to decline, small bullion note but still good fruit, medium body with light, declining tannin. decent acidity remains. still alive and drinkable but don't wait.

1999 vintage

We drink BV George’s de Latour for anniversary every year. We bought our first bottle on our honeymoon in Napa/Sonoma in 2010. We just celebrated our 15th anniversary and decided to drink our 2005 bottle. We decanted it. It’s satiny soft on the mouthfeel, but still has plenty of structure. It has some spice, some tobacco, some berry flavors. It paired perfectly with our meal of grilled steak, garlic and rosemary red potatoes, and grilled asparagus.

2005 vintage

Nose: Seductive nose offering sweet red fruit, brown spice as and some nutty treacle and caramel notes. There are oxidative notes typical of BV in these yrs, but the wine shines through. Palate: A touch in the "ashy" range that some describe, but the smoke note gives way to plum, red fruit, pipe tobacco, mint and bruised cherries. Silky and still showing a bit of glycerin at 51 years. Finish: Red sweet berries, and a bit of remaining tannin. Touches …

1974 vintage

I wouldn’t know how to rate this. This is very old wine. It has held up, but is showing its age. Very calmly and menthol notes, some sense of forest floor. No fruit whatsoever. Sort of an off brown color. I don’t think this bottle was bad, actually stored very well, just very old. Interesting if not pleasant.

1974 vintage

Drank with Jeanne and Jefferson on our 23rd anniversary from 2002. Tannin forward after 21 years. But soft and mellow. Excellent mouth feel. Long finish. Smooth. Balanced acidity. Plum. Cassis. Earthy. Cherry. Time to be had!

2002 vintage

Beautiful old school wine at 33-years young. Still has a solid fruit profile of red/black cherry and plums. Wonderful secodary notes of tobacco, leather, earth, cedar, and a hint of eucalyptus. Still has a little acidity left, soft tannins, and great long finish. These age so gracefully and always a treat to drink these older BV Latour vintages.

1992 vintage

Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet color. Wonderful bouquet of dusty dried blackberries, black cherries, black currants and their liqueurs; mocha, fennel, lavender, violets, bourbon vanilla, spicy oak, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, seamless, balanced, velvety mouth feel. Held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator for 4 days. No rush at all.

1996 vintage

A delight to drink! One for the wine geeks to savor.

1992 vintage

I'm late to the party. What -- no more pours since 2007? Patience, anyone? I like to appreciate the positives in this Tchelistcheff influenced product. Low alcohol, finesse instead of the hammer -- the wine is elegant, rarified, decent perfume, and unlike a prior review here, an adequate finish. One has to be inclined toward this style of aged cab, I suppose -- and I've got em so gotta appreciate them if they deserve it!

1979 vintage

Paulee at Marea : Drinking young and gorgeous. Sexy and lively with vigor this continued to improve throughout the evening. A truly epic wine.

1958 vintage

Tasted blind, bought on release, fill 10 mm into neck, ruby/garnet, absolutely classic BV PR with sweet cedar notes from Amercian oak, currants, tobacco, soft tannins, long finish, easily identified blind by other tasters with the signature cedar notes we have loved for decades.

1983 vintage

Aromatic with spices and tobacco, black-fruit flavors, strong structure both acidity- and tannin-based. Still drinks young. A bit over-oaked to my taste.

1999 vintage

When first tasted a little austere and thin. Two hours decant things improved. Lead pencil nose with fruit notes. The wine is medium to full bodied, classic in style, dusty tannins, a little underpowered. A reasonably good drink today but I don’t think it gets better from here on out.

2002 vintage

Very good, classic BV. Enjoyable although the Spring Mountain '74 blew it out of the water. EWG 10-20-40-50 year+ retrospective.

1974 vintage

This pours light garnet in the glass. Lighter color than expected from a Napa Cabernet of this era. The nose is initially quite tight but really nicely unfurls to show fruit leather, sweet cedar, library, old furniture, a touch of eucalyptus, red cherry, orange oil, and a touch of porty fruit. The palate enters on tremendously sweet and ripe fruit, despite the overall light weight and extract and fruit leaning toward red. Tannin is medium minus and acid is medium. …

1974 vintage

Brought (3) btls to my 1974 HS graduation and shared with so many people. The color was old, with browning edges. The flavor was smooth with minimal tannins. The flavor was all Cab. A very decent showing for a 50 year old wine. Drink up.

1974 vintage

Sadly gone. A ghost of its former glory.

1974 vintage

Pristine cork, but oxidized beyond recognition. Sad.

1974 vintage

Wow, still vibrant at 19.

2005 vintage

Faded.. completely faded with a surprisingly light body. Brownish with a wide 4mm rim, and rather murky too. Light balsamic notes. We had this alongside @Teck Kongs duo of Mouton Rothschild 1974, which despite the vintage of poor repute, actually stood better the test of time had marginally more fruit. A wine about the nostalgia (Birth year for the 5 of us!) and remembering the pioneering days at Napa Valley. However this specific bottle has seen better days... Happy 35th …

1974 vintage

At FIFTY YEARS OLD, this had an excellent fill level and amazingly near perfect cork, considering its age. Similarly, the foil and label were in ideal condition. Unlike another 50 yr old 1974 Chappellet, which was served from a magnum, the BV de Latour was a standard size 750 and had not held up so well, having lost its lustre and appeal, past it’s acceptable drinking window, drinkable for memorable tasting, but not pleasurable sipping. I rated it 84 but …

1974 vintage

40th Bday wines : Amazed this has held up. 50yrs old and what an experience. Nose was all tertiary with saddle leather and earthy elements, truffle, mushroom, etc. Palate had fully resolved tannin, balanced acidity and felt weightless in the mouth. Very enjoyable and a testament to 70s Napa cab.

1974 vintage

Rusty when opened and poured …used a wide bottom decanter. Lots of sediment…rust turns to deep purple and awful barnyard smell yields to raisin. Really can’t seem to find balance ….sipped over 3 hours . Tart, tobacco , leather: Very disjointed. May take a few more years …

1996 vintage

Amazing for 50 years! Celebrated my 50th birthday and this wine was extremely well recieved. Still packed some fruit.

1974 vintage

23x California 1974 : Do the legendary 1974s still hold up? The answer is a resounding YES, and not just for one or two top wines, but across the board. These best wines showed incredible complexity, with still vibrant fruit cores perfectly complemented by layers upon layers of tertiary aromas, a fully intact structural frame, stature, poise, and freshness. While many of these wines should continue to age well, I don't expect them to get any better than they are …

1974 vintage

Drank this delicious mature cab last evening. Stunning wine at or near peak. No decant needed. Very concentrated with plenty of fruit plus secondary flavors. Drink or hold.

2005 vintage

Last bottle of a half case purchased long ago. Glad I was able to share it with friends who were pouring other fine California wines. In a good drinking window but can age longer. Classic Napa in a very good way.

2005 vintage

Can't give the wine itself more than 90, but we enjoyed it more than that... maybe it's the memories of one of the great California pioneers. Amazing that it's 50 years old and still an enjoyable wine. A treat to drink and remember with 1974 Phelps Martha's Vineyard and Mondavi Reserve, two 100-point wines.

1974 vintage

Great can for sure.

2005 vintage

Dinner at Ember with Brian and Rosemany Talley and friends (Arroyo Grande, CA) : Bought three different '74 Napa cabs for my birthday celebration. This bottle was way past peak and was barely drinkable. Poured most of it out. Brad - heavypourwine.com

1974 vintage

(Not a) birthday dinner (Hinsdale, IL) : More impressive that this has held up after all these years. A bit of smoke and showing a herbal character for Napa cabernet. Very much mature sun-drenched Napa fruit on the palate, with resolved, leathery tannins. Impressive weight but for my palate, this is more on its last legs than anything.

1958 vintage

Jon's 50th Birthday Party : PnP. Small pour. This is incredibly fresh and vibrant with a perfect balance of fruit and tertiary flavors. Luscious mouthfeel and a finish that lingers. Very memorable bottle.

1958 vintage

자두, 무화과, 블랙베리, 블랙커런트, 살짝 바닐라, 간장, 에스프레소 오랜시간이 지났지만 너무나도 풍부한 과실에 힘도 좋다. 타닌은 이미 없는것처럼 부드러워졌고, 적당한 산미에 좋은 밸런스 아주 매력적!

1996 vintage

A 1974 Napa Retrospective (Zunfthaus zur Waag Zürich) : From a 5 Liter bottle, this was one of the stars of the night for me. The color alone showed us that we would be experiencing a different animal. While the regular bottle had clear amber and brick edges, this had a dark purple and very intense color. In the nose it was young, sexy and fruit driven with a hint of eucalyptus. Great body and long finish. What a delight!

1974 vintage

A 1974 Napa Retrospective (Zunfthaus zur Waag Zürich) : From a 0.75l bottle this showed how I expected it to. Towards the end of its maturity, irish moss, chocolate, nice sweetness and a good length, but should be drunk up. The 5 Liter that was also opened told a very different story and was still incredibly youthful.

1974 vintage

This was a very fun, interesting wine to try on Friday 1/19/24. Decanted and immediately poured and tried. While it’s definitely past its prime, it was still fun to try. Felt more like a Pinot than a California Cab. Definitely not a favorite, but we all enjoyed tasting it. The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are fast. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like mineral, mushroom, raspberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like forest floor. …

1983 vintage

Seriously corked, cork dried out, could not drink it

1999 vintage

Red and black cherry on the nose, with hints of cigar box and leather, more of the same on the palate, medium body, touch simple, and a medium finish. time to drink up.

2002 vintage

Well past prime. Initial taste was thin and dried out. But opened up in the glass. Ended up being a good enough accompaniment to the Christmas tenderloin.

1988 vintage

Decanted for about 3 hours, which it needed. Nose of earth, oak, tobacco, red berry and green pepper. Flavors of cherry, red berry, vanilla, spice, slight green pepper and oak. Nice balance of acid and tannin.

2005 vintage

This has developed nicely. It seems past its peak drinking window but still very good to drink. Medium ruby, with aroma of oak, leather, tobacco or cigar box, with black fruit, peat, soft tannins that have smoothened but not disappeared and a medium length. Very good display of tertiary flavors. I almost felt I am drinking a Laphroaig.

1999 vintage

Cork was perfect, but wine was musty, dark licorice nose. Bowl was almost black and showed some granulation. It happens.

1999 vintage

Slightly flabby tannins but still good dark red fruit and tobacco

1983 vintage

Decanted for 6 hours and turned out amazing! Still powerful, warm, fruity and elegant. Such a surprise and treat :) :) :)

1983 vintage

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Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

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