Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 07

Tasting Notes:
Our 2007 Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon expresses the terroir of the Rutherford appellation with lush, brambly blackberry, cassis and ripe black cherry character nuanced with cocoa, licorice, earth and cedar. Well-integrated oak spice from barrel aging heightens the aromas and lingers on the long, fruit-imbued finish. Ripe, firm tannins structure the dense, richly textured flavors, giving the wine both approachability and cellar-worthiness.

Vineyard Notes:
This wine’s beautifully balanced flavors come primarily from BV Ranches No. 1 and No. 2 on the Rutherford Bench, where ideal alluvial fan soils—composed of gravel, sand and loam—allow the vines to root deeply and bring up minerals that develop unique flavors in the grapes. The Rutherford American Viticultural Area, only two miles wide and slightly more than three miles long, is world renowned for producing great Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winemaker Notes:
To bring out the rich layers of flavors inherent in Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, we destemmed the grapes and then cold soaked the must for two to four days for gentle flavor extraction. During the eight- to twelve-day fermentation, we pumped over the cap to incorporate the flavor-rich skins into the juice. Malolactic fermentation rounded the flavors and aging in oak barrels for 18 months added a fusion of oak spices.

Other Notes:
Ideal conditions throughout the 2007 growing season made for a smooth and easy harvest of phenomenal quality. Napa Valley’s famous night fog persisted during ripening, retaining bright grape acidity, while the moderately sunny days developed ripe flavors. The varietals ripened in textbook order, with late-maturing Cabernet Sauvignon wrapping up the harvest from late September to mid-October. Mother Nature dealt us a good hand for crafting beautifully balanced, opulent wines.