1998 Beaulieu Vineyard BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA
$120.00 USD $134.00 USD
Press
Rated 92 Points Vinous
Our first bottle showed a slightly dull medium red color and an element of pruney oxidation, not to mention a peppery herbal streak and a distinct mid-palate dryness. But a second bottle showed a much darker, fresher color and an altogether juicier character. Yes, there's an element of peppery herbs that few 1998 California Cabernets totally avoid, but here there's altogether more red and darker fruit intensity and an element of mid-palate energy that does not read as greenness. The finish is quite firm, with building tannins. My score is obviously for this second sample, which is one of the best bottles of 1998 Cabernet I've tasted recently. (ST)