Full of power and intensity, this Cabernet leaps from the glass with deep dark fruit aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberry, blueberry and dark plum, interwoven alongside more savory notes of black olive, black licorice, and graham cracker crust from the toasted oak spices which lead to an extraordinary lengthy mouthwatering finish. The silky velvet-like tannins are rich and lush, sure to soften and become more rounded as the wine ages, but are incredibly focused when enjoying the wine in its youth. This wine is broad, robust and powerful, exhibiting a muscular strength and intensity, like a bull fighter with incredible force, balance, energy and finesse. The dark core of dense black fruit is also supported by a string of vibrant acidity which perfectly tames the brooding dark fruits and grippier tannin structure. While enjoyable now, this wine will continue to develop complexity in the bottle and will age well for another 20+ years when stored at ideal cellar temperatures.
Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
---|---|
Vintage | 2015 |
Volume | 750mL |
Appellation | Napa Valley |
Blend | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Oak Treatment | 26 months in French oak, with 100% new barrels. |
Alcohol % | 14.9% |
Enclosure Type | Cork |
Case Production | 444 cases |
pH | 3.56 |
"The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6 is made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose is wonderfully layered with plum preserves, creme de cassis and blackberry compote with nuances of oolong tea, bay leaves and dusty soil plus a touch of camphor. Full-bodied with a taut frame of ripe tannins and solid, muscular fruit, it finishes very long and savory." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, October 2018
At our state-of-the-art winery, dedicated exclusively to the production of our Reserve wines, we hand sorted the destemmed berries of this clone to retain only the highest quality fruit. Cold soaking of the must and gentle punch-downs in open-top fermenters mixed the flavor-rich skins with the juice. Upon completion of primary fermentation, we pressed and transferred the wine to new French oak barrels for in-barrel malolactic fermentation and aging. Because of the uniqueness of the expression of this clonal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, we treat this wine as a special lot or single vineyard wine.
Jeffrey Stambor joined the Beaulieu Vineyard winemaking team in 1989 as a viticulturist/enologist. As the current director of winemaking, he leads production of the winery’s world-renowned Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon, and presided over the harvest and vinification of 2013 Rarity – the extremely limited release Cabernet Sauvignon blend. He is only the fourth director of winemaking in Beaulieu Vineyard’s history, and the third to craft Georges de Latour Private Reserve over the 77-year history of that iconic wine following Andre Tchelistcheff, the original winemaker, and his immediate predecessor, Joel Aiken.
A mild winter across California lead to early bud break in 2015 but limited rain and moderate temperatures throughout the growing season caused the overall length of the season to be consistent with years past. The yields in 2015 were slightly lower than the previous year, which lead to exceptional quality, resulting in a Cabernet with tremendous concentration of flavors, highly saturated color, and layers of complexity.
In 1980, we began a 14-year series of trials in conjunction with UC Davis, to identify Cabernet Sauvignon clones best suited to our Rutherford Bench terroir. Two clones (4 and 6) were ultimately selected for grafting to rootstocks planted in the well-draining, alluvial fan soils of our estate vineyards. As a component of our Georges de Latour and other reserve Cabernet Sauvignons, Clone 4 gives the blend pronounced, lush, full flavors and has softer, more approachable tannins in its youth. Also known as the Mendoza clone, it was identified and isolated in Argentina and then brought to the United States. Known for its larger berries and tighter berry cluster, resulting in a Cabernet with lush, round and opulent style.
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