Ratings & Tasting Notes:

91 points Wine Spectator — Top 100 Wines of 1997, Spectator Selection

This review describes a deeply concentrated, impressive BV Rutherford bottling with a rich core of plum, currant, and cherry flavors, noting it “shows remarkable finesse and finishes with a long, full aftertaste,” calling it approachable now with room to soften further with age.

Cult Wines International Notes:

Beaulieu Vineyard was founded in 1900 by Georges de Latour and his wife Fernande, who named the property “beau lieu” — “beautiful place” — after purchasing the original Rutherford land. De Latour hired the legendary Russian-born winemaker André Tchelistcheff in 1938, whose innovations over 35 years helped define modern Napa Valley winemaking and gave rise to the concept of “Rutherford Dust,” the distinctive earthy, dusty character found in wines from this specific stretch of the valley. This 1994 release falls in the same era Tchelistcheff briefly returned to the winery as a consultant, continuing his legacy right up until his passing that same year.

1994 is widely regarded as a landmark vintage for Napa Valley, marking what many consider the start of the region’s modern golden era. Growing conditions were close to ideal, with a dry, cool spring and a long, moderate summer allowing for slow, even ripening and outstanding phenolic development. This bottling was recognized at the time with a place on Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 list, a reflection of both the vintage’s strength and BV’s long-standing mastery of Rutherford terroir. Now at three decades of age, this wine should be showing the full tertiary complexity that only truly great, well-cellared vintages can develop.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.

Outstanding condition.