About the Winery:
The 2019 Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is truly exemplary of this iconic wine, with a nuanced, exuberant nose that shows dark, ripe, berry fruit aromas of black raspberry, red currant, and black cherry, alongside delicate chaparral herb notes of wild lavender, rose, fresh mint, sage, and thyme. Exotic spiced notes from the well-integrated new French oak barrel aging adds caramel, cedar, and clove, all accompanying the plush fruit seamlessly, showcasing the depth, elegance, and balance of this world-renowned Cabernet. Full-bodied with tremendous concentration and power, the broad palate is multilayered with enticing flavors of dark black cherry, red currant, cocoa nib, amaretto, espresso, and graphite. Signature “Rutherford Dust” tannins add a fine cocoa-powder texture, with a long lift and persistent finish, while secondary notes of earth, espresso and pencil shavings add to the complexity and nuance. The mouthwatering palate is supple and fresh, with balanced acidity, demonstrating the classically elegant, luscious, and alluring character this wine is known for. Incredibly drinkable upon release in its youth and highly cellarable for many years to come.
Vineyard:
We hand selected grapes from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon vines from the western bench of the Rutherford AVA in our iconic BV Ranches No. 1 and No. 2, originally planted by Georges de Latour in the early 1900s. We focused on clonal selections (6, 4, 169, 7 and 8), which yield small berries with the high skin-to-juice ratio needed to make intense, long-lived wines. The fruit was handpicked and optically sorted once it arrived to the winery in order to ensure the highest quality selection. These specifically chosen vines are deeply rooted in the well-draining alluvial fan soils of Rutherford, considered one of the finest regions in the Napa Valley for Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2019 harvest started one to two weeks later than previous years due to February rains. Spring continued to be wet with some rain during flowering, followed by cool temperatures that allowed the grapes to mature gradually. Most grapes ripened at lower sugars, thanks to the extended, cool growing season, and winemakers were pleased with the full flavors, fresh acidity, and superb balance of the 2019 fruit. The resulting crop showed a modest yield with a slightly more compact structure and extract than in previous years.
