These are notes from a local wine shop's vertical tasting of BV Private
Reserve Cabernets. The prices are current and they are available now from
that shop (which I won't name here) I wasn't in attendance (dammit!) because
it sold out before I called to make a reservation. :^(

I have tasted some of them, and am holding bottles of a couple. Of the ones
I've tasted the 1976 was my favorite. I bought it whenever I saw it (I
think it was $16US on release) and drank it all in its (and my!) youth. It
was utterly _delicious_ then, and apparently still is. 1976 was a drought
year in California, and the crop yields were quite low. That made for great
intensity of the fruit, and the wine was superbly balanced. Andre T. would
have been proud to have made that wine, but IIRC the winemaker was Tom
Selfridge.

I'm _very_ tempted to buy a bottle...

Tom S

"BV Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Tasting!
For those of you lucky enough to attend the Beaulieu Vineyards tasting of
Georges de Latour Private Reserves, you know it was a tremendous success,
with the wines being perfectly stored in the BV Cellars then shipped
directly to us. What a treat! For those who could not attend don't despair
because the wines we tasted that night are still available at great prices.
Here are a few notes:
1976 - $129.99- This was one of our favorite wines of the night. Fully
mature, with a brickish tinge around the rim, the wine showed exotic notes
of cedar, ginger and cassis with a healthy dose of the distinctive
Rutherford dust. The fill levels are like a current release! Set this one
upright, decant, and taste a living bit of California history!

1984 - $79.99 This wine was also fully mature and a bit darker than the'76.
Great price for a perfectly stored wine from a legendary vintage.

1986 - $97.99 The '86 is still quite youthful, showing a powerful tannic
backbone but supported by complex dark berry, spice, tobacco and mineral
nuances.

1987 - $119.99 Many folks thought this was the best wine of the night.
Remarkably youthful with gobs of rich cabernet fruit, this wine will
continue to improve over the next 3 to 5 years.

1990 - $74.99 This was the first vintage that BV began using French Oak in
the Private Reserve. Quite spicy, still youthful, and a great price!

1991 - $64.99 The price on this one makes us say "What were they thinking?"
From a great vintage with over 10 years bottle age, this is priced the same
as current vintage.

1993 - $71.99 The '93 showed beautifully, with a great balance between
powerful youthful fruit and the nuances that some bottle age can bring. This
actually was the favorite of the flight that included '95 and '97!

1995 - $85.99 This wine was still quite tight, but you could tell that all
the elements for great Cabernet are in there. We actually got to try the
left over bottle the next day, after it had been opened over 24 hours and it
was fantastic. 93 points Wine Spectator.

1997 - $94.99 The '97 is still a baby. Deeply concentrated and rich with
layers of complexity and great length and great structure, this wine has a
long and beautiful life ahead of it. 95 points Wine Spectator.SOLD OUT BUT
MORE MAY BE AVAILABLE

2000 - $64.99 Incredibly concentrated and powerful for the vintage. Thick
and rich with some floral and herbal notes that reminded us of Cabernet
Franc, We were surprised to learn this was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Decant
for an hour or two and serve this with grilled New York Steaks or cellar for
up to 10 years.

2001 Pre-Arrival. 3 Bottle Price $194.97 - 6 Bottle Price $377.94 - We had
to beg the winemaker to let us pour this wine before it had been released.
This was also a favorite of the tasting, showing classic and beautiful
Cabernet fruit but also showing a firm tannin structure that is unusual in
California Cabs these days. we think that the 2001 will be equal to or
better than the '97."

I have one bottle of the 82 - looks like I should think about getting into it!

Thanks for the notes Tom. I find I have 2 bottles of the 76, 2 of 75, 3
of 78. I had 6 bottles to a case of each at one time. I will have to try
a bottle of each again sometime this fall, as it has been a while since
I tasted them. The price of all of these was quite reasonable for the
quality when I bought them shortly after release.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

Thanks for the notes Tom. I find I have 2 bottles of the 76, 2 of 75, 3
of 78. I had 6 bottles to a case of each at one time. I will have to try
a bottle of each again sometime this fall, as it has been a while since
I tasted them. The price of all of these was quite reasonable for the
quality when I bought them shortly after release.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

with the 1997 Georges I heard they had an issue this cork taint from cellar
methods.

anyone here try the 1997 bv Georges yet. I have a 1/2 case in cellar. just
interested.

dick

"Tom S" > wrote in message
. com...
> These are notes from a local wine shop's vertical tasting of BV Private
> Reserve Cabernets. The prices are current and they are available now from
> that shop (which I won't name here) I wasn't in attendance (dammit!)
because
> it sold out before I called to make a reservation. :^(
>
> I have tasted some of them, and am holding bottles of a couple. Of the
ones
> I've tasted the 1976 was my favorite. I bought it whenever I saw it (I
> think it was $16US on release) and drank it all in its (and my!) youth.
It
> was utterly _delicious_ then, and apparently still is. 1976 was a drought
> year in California, and the crop yields were quite low. That made for
great
> intensity of the fruit, and the wine was superbly balanced. Andre T.
would
> have been proud to have made that wine, but IIRC the winemaker was Tom
> Selfridge.
>
> I'm _very_ tempted to buy a bottle...
>
> Tom S
>
> "BV Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Tasting!
> For those of you lucky enough to attend the Beaulieu Vineyards tasting of
> Georges de Latour Private Reserves, you know it was a tremendous success,
> with the wines being perfectly stored in the BV Cellars then shipped
> directly to us. What a treat! For those who could not attend don't despair
> because the wines we tasted that night are still available at great
prices.
> Here are a few notes:
> 1976 - $129.99- This was one of our favorite wines of the night. Fully
> mature, with a brickish tinge around the rim, the wine showed exotic notes
> of cedar, ginger and cassis with a healthy dose of the distinctive
> Rutherford dust. The fill levels are like a current release! Set this one
> upright, decant, and taste a living bit of California history!
>
> 1984 - $79.99 This wine was also fully mature and a bit darker than
the'76.
> Great price for a perfectly stored wine from a legendary vintage.
>
> 1986 - $97.99 The '86 is still quite youthful, showing a powerful tannic
> backbone but supported by complex dark berry, spice, tobacco and mineral
> nuances.
>
> 1987 - $119.99 Many folks thought this was the best wine of the night.
> Remarkably youthful with gobs of rich cabernet fruit, this wine will
> continue to improve over the next 3 to 5 years.
>
> 1990 - $74.99 This was the first vintage that BV began using French Oak in
> the Private Reserve. Quite spicy, still youthful, and a great price!
>
> 1991 - $64.99 The price on this one makes us say "What were they
thinking?"
> From a great vintage with over 10 years bottle age, this is priced the
same
> as current vintage.
>
> 1993 - $71.99 The '93 showed beautifully, with a great balance between
> powerful youthful fruit and the nuances that some bottle age can bring.
This
> actually was the favorite of the flight that included '95 and '97!
>
> 1995 - $85.99 This wine was still quite tight, but you could tell that all
> the elements for great Cabernet are in there. We actually got to try the
> left over bottle the next day, after it had been opened over 24 hours and
it
> was fantastic. 93 points Wine Spectator.
>
> 1997 - $94.99 The '97 is still a baby. Deeply concentrated and rich with
> layers of complexity and great length and great structure, this wine has a
> long and beautiful life ahead of it. 95 points Wine Spectator.SOLD OUT BUT
> MORE MAY BE AVAILABLE
>
> 2000 - $64.99 Incredibly concentrated and powerful for the vintage. Thick
> and rich with some floral and herbal notes that reminded us of Cabernet
> Franc, We were surprised to learn this was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Decant
> for an hour or two and serve this with grilled New York Steaks or cellar
for
> up to 10 years.
>
> 2001 Pre-Arrival. 3 Bottle Price $194.97 - 6 Bottle Price $377.94 - We had
> to beg the winemaker to let us pour this wine before it had been released.
> This was also a favorite of the tasting, showing classic and beautiful
> Cabernet fruit but also showing a firm tannin structure that is unusual in
> California Cabs these days. we think that the 2001 will be equal to or
> better than the '97."
>
>

"Tom S" in . com...
> . . .
> Of the ones
> I've tasted the 1976 was my favorite. . . . It
> was utterly _delicious_ then, and apparently still is.
> 1976 was a drought year in California, and the crop
> yields were quite low. That made for great
> intensity of the fruit, and the wine was superbly balanced.

I have happy memories of this wine also. I bought a few bottles slightly
after release at $19 and $19.50 (at Bolton's and The Bottle Shop in
Berkeley, California, I see from the inventory in those days, as a point of
extreme trivia even by my standards) and served some of them a few years
later. (1976 and 77 were the famous California drought years and many 1976
California cabs that I tried on release were pleasantly concentrated.)

I was disappointed later that the bottles of 76 BV Private Reserve that I
saved for the much longer term were accidentally destroyed by heat. An
opportunity to make up for this seemed at hand when a volume of the wine
appeared not long ago at a local wine merchant -- but once again, though I
responded at once, it had sold already. (Maybe to one of those people you
see on the Web sites who boast of having followed fine wines for over a
year, and already having 2000 postings on the subject! I Am Not Making That
Up.)

-- Max

Tom S wrote:
> 1976 - $129.99- This was one of our favorite wines of the night. Fully
> mature, with a brickish tinge around the rim, the wine showed exotic notes
> of cedar, ginger and cassis with a healthy dose of the distinctive
> Rutherford dust. The fill levels are like a current release! Set this one
> upright, decant, and taste a living bit of California history!
> 1993 - $71.99 The '93 showed beautifully, with a great balance between
> powerful youthful fruit and the nuances that some bottle age can bring. This
> actually was the favorite of the flight that included '95 and '97!

Excellent review Tom. I have not tasted the 76 or 86 in many years
but to me the 93 is the best that BV ever made.

"dick" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> with the 1997 Georges I heard they had an issue this cork taint from
cellar
> methods.
>
> anyone here try the 1997 bv Georges yet. I have a 1/2 case in cellar.
just
> interested.

That's one of the ones I've tasted. I didn't detect any taint problems in
it. Same goes for the "Clone 6" bottling (which needs a _lot_ of time BTW).
Don't know about the "Clone 4".

I bought a few bottles of the 1998 at Costco for a blowout price (~$35US).
Wasn't such a bargain. Not only was 1998 not such a good vintage but those
DID have taint in varying degrees. I hope the 1999 doesn't have any such
problem. I bought a couple, but have never tasted it.

Tom S

"dick" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> with the 1997 Georges I heard they had an issue this cork taint from
cellar
> methods.
>
> anyone here try the 1997 bv Georges yet. I have a 1/2 case in cellar.
just
> interested.

That's one of the ones I've tasted. I didn't detect any taint problems in
it. Same goes for the "Clone 6" bottling (which needs a _lot_ of time BTW).
Don't know about the "Clone 4".

I bought a few bottles of the 1998 at Costco for a blowout price (~$35US).
Wasn't such a bargain. Not only was 1998 not such a good vintage but those
DID have taint in varying degrees. I hope the 1999 doesn't have any such
problem. I bought a couple, but have never tasted it.

Tom S

"Max Hauser" > wrote in message
...
> I have happy memories of this wine (1976) also. I bought a few bottles
slightly
> after release at $19 and $19.50 (at Bolton's and The Bottle Shop in
> Berkeley, California, I see from the inventory in those days, as a point
of
> extreme trivia even by my standards) and served some of them a few years
> later. (1976 and 77 were the famous California drought years and many
1976
> California cabs that I tried on release were pleasantly concentrated.)
>
> I was disappointed later that the bottles of 76 BV Private Reserve that I
> saved for the much longer term were accidentally destroyed by heat. An
> opportunity to make up for this seemed at hand when a volume of the wine
> appeared not long ago at a local wine merchant -- but once again, though I
> responded at once, it had sold already.

Looks like this is your second chance. Those notes are from "The Wine
House" in West L.A. in case you're interested. I have no affiliation with
them BTW, except as a customer (so far anyway) That may change in the
future, but nothing is pending at the moment.

Tom S

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> I have not tasted the 76 or 86 in many years
> but to me the 93 is the best that BV ever made.

I spoke with Leigh Knowles at a tasting once about 20 years ago. His
personal favorite was the 1958.

Tom S

"Bill" > wrote in message
...
> I have not tasted the 76 or 86 in many years
> but to me the 93 is the best that BV ever made.

I spoke with Leigh Knowles at a tasting once about 20 years ago. His
personal favorite was the 1958.

Tom S

Good to hear on the 97. This is one of my favorite wines in California.

I bought my 97's at Costco here at $52 a bottlel which to me was a steal.
Hope they are good!!!!!

I have been buying since 85 and have some 86, 93, 95, 97 in cellar. Nothing
after that.

enjoy


"Tom S" > wrote in message
. com...
>
> "dick" > wrote in message
> ink.net...
> > with the 1997 Georges I heard they had an issue this cork taint from
> cellar
> > methods.
> >
> > anyone here try the 1997 bv Georges yet. I have a 1/2 case in cellar.
> just
> > interested.
>
> That's one of the ones I've tasted. I didn't detect any taint problems in
> it. Same goes for the "Clone 6" bottling (which needs a _lot_ of time
BTW).
> Don't know about the "Clone 4".
>
> I bought a few bottles of the 1998 at Costco for a blowout price (~$35US).
> Wasn't such a bargain. Not only was 1998 not such a good vintage but
those
> DID have taint in varying degrees. I hope the 1999 doesn't have any such
> problem. I bought a couple, but have never tasted it.
>
> Tom S
>
>

Good to hear on the 97. This is one of my favorite wines in California.

I bought my 97's at Costco here at $52 a bottlel which to me was a steal.
Hope they are good!!!!!

I have been buying since 85 and have some 86, 93, 95, 97 in cellar. Nothing
after that.

enjoy


"Tom S" > wrote in message
. com...
>
> "dick" > wrote in message
> ink.net...
> > with the 1997 Georges I heard they had an issue this cork taint from
> cellar
> > methods.
> >
> > anyone here try the 1997 bv Georges yet. I have a 1/2 case in cellar.
> just
> > interested.
>
> That's one of the ones I've tasted. I didn't detect any taint problems in
> it. Same goes for the "Clone 6" bottling (which needs a _lot_ of time
BTW).
> Don't know about the "Clone 4".
>
> I bought a few bottles of the 1998 at Costco for a blowout price (~$35US).
> Wasn't such a bargain. Not only was 1998 not such a good vintage but
those
> DID have taint in varying degrees. I hope the 1999 doesn't have any such
> problem. I bought a couple, but have never tasted it.
>
> Tom S
>
>

In article > , "Tom S"
> writes:

>with the 1997 Georges I heard they had an issue this cork taint from
>cellar
>> methods.
>>
>> anyone here try the 1997 bv Georges yet. I have a 1/2 case in cellar.
>just
>> interested.
>
>That's one of the ones I've tasted. I didn't detect any taint problems in
>it. Same goes for the "Clone 6" bottling (which needs a _lot_ of time BTW).
>Don't know about the "Clone 4".
>
>I bought a few bottles of the 1998 at Costco for a blowout price (~$35US).
>Wasn't such a bargain. Not only was 1998 not such a good vintage but those
>DID have taint in varying degrees. I hope the 1999 doesn't have any such
>problem. I bought a couple, but have never tasted it.
>

My memory of the BV situation was that the contamination was in the barrel room
used for most of the reds (including Georges Latour, Clone 4 & 6, Tapestry,
Rutherford, etc).
There seemed to be some level of contamination of the '97s, but the '98s & '99s
were hardest hit.
I've got a few - '97 & '99 Rutherford, and one of those firesale '98 Georges.
Oh well.

More he
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Da...5,1841,00.html

Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

"Dale Williams" > wrote in message
...
> My memory of the BV situation was that the contamination was in the barrel
room
> used for most of the reds (including Georges Latour, Clone 4 & 6,
Tapestry,
> Rutherford, etc).
> There seemed to be some level of contamination of the '97s, but the '98s &
'99s
> were hardest hit.
> I've got a few - '97 & '99 Rutherford, and one of those firesale '98
Georges.

I've never had a bad bottle of either the 1997 Rutherford or GdL, or the
1999 Rutherford. I wonder what BV's policy is on future discovery of bad
bottles from those vintages?

Tom S

"Dale Williams" > wrote in message
...
> My memory of the BV situation was that the contamination was in the barrel
room
> used for most of the reds (including Georges Latour, Clone 4 & 6,
Tapestry,
> Rutherford, etc).
> There seemed to be some level of contamination of the '97s, but the '98s &
'99s
> were hardest hit.
> I've got a few - '97 & '99 Rutherford, and one of those firesale '98
Georges.

I've never had a bad bottle of either the 1997 Rutherford or GdL, or the
1999 Rutherford. I wonder what BV's policy is on future discovery of bad
bottles from those vintages?

Tom S