Beaulieu Vineyard Georges De La Tour Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges De La Tour Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is a 14.7% ABV, 750ml Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage earned the extraordinary distinction of Wine Spectator's #2 Wine of the Year in 2024, alongside 98+ points from Jeb Dunnuck, 98 points from James Suckling, 97 points from Jane Anson, and 95 points from both Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast—making it one of the most critically celebrated releases in the wine's nearly nine-decade history.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.7%  |  Origin: Rutherford AVA, Napa Valley, California  |  Vintage: 2021  |  Producer: Beaulieu Vineyard (BV)

Production & Heritage

Beaulieu Vineyard was founded in 1900 by Georges de Latour in the heart of Rutherford, and the Georges de Latour Private Reserve line has been produced since 1936, making it one of Napa Valley's longest-running prestige cuvées. BV operates a dedicated, state-of-the-art winery built exclusively for this wine, combining modern technology with time-honored winemaking. The 2021 blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. A portion of the juice is fermented directly in new French oak barrels for early tannin integration, while the balance undergoes fermentation in stainless steel and concrete tanks. Extended skin contact and full malolactic fermentation in barrel build the wine's signature depth and polished structure.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Purple-hued in the glass, the nose opens with intense cassis and blackcurrant followed by wild sage, fresh mint, and cedar. With air, darker layers of graphite, sandalwood, iodine, and bittersweet chocolate emerge alongside a distinctive gravelly minerality reminiscent of the Graves region in Bordeaux.

Taste: The entry is expansive and full-bodied, delivering ripe blackberry, plum, and black cherry across a sumptuous, layered mouthfeel. Mid-palate, earthier tones of graphite, licorice root, warm paving stone, and new leather assert themselves, while red rose petal and violet accents lift through the background. Silky, polished tannins spread across the palate evenly, holding everything in balance.

Finish: Long, deeply structured, and harmonized, with sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, and gravelly stone persisting through the fade. The tannins remain fine-grained and fully integrated, leaving a lingering impression of cassis and alder wood.

How to Drink Georges De La Tour 2021

Serve at 60–65°F in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass after 30–60 minutes of decanting to allow the full aromatic range to unfold. This is fundamentally a wine built for attentive sipping. A Cabernet-based Sangria with blackberry and citrus plays directly to its dark fruit intensity. A New York Sour floated with this wine adds gravelly complexity to the cocktail's structure. A classic Kalimotxo with premium cola creates a surprisingly refreshing counterpoint to the wine's tannic backbone.

Best For

• Cellaring for a milestone anniversary or birthday—structured to age well beyond a decade
• Gifting a serious wine collector or Napa Valley devotee
• Anchoring a formal dinner alongside premium dry-aged beef or braised lamb
• Marking a vintage that earned historic critical recognition across every major publication

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Georges De La Tour 2021 taste like? It is a full-bodied, intensely flavored Cabernet dominated by black currant, blackberry, and plum, layered with graphite, wild sage, dark chocolate, and gravelly minerality. Silky tannins and a long finish give it both power and elegance.

How does Georges De La Tour 2021 compare to top Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux? Multiple critics have noted its Graves-like gravelly earth character, and its balance of elegant fruit and firm structure has been directly compared to the best of Bordeaux. Where top Pessac-Léognan estates tend toward limestone-driven restraint, Georges De La Tour brings Rutherford's signature dusty earthiness and slightly riper fruit concentration.

Is Georges De La Tour 2021 good for sipping neat? Absolutely—this is a wine designed for focused, contemplative drinking, with enough complexity and structure to reward extended time in the glass. Decanting for at least 30 minutes reveals its full aromatic depth.

Where is Georges De La Tour made? It is produced at Beaulieu Vineyard's dedicated state-of-the-art winery in Rutherford, Napa Valley, California. The estate was founded in 1900 by Georges de Latour, and Rutherford's benchland soils are central to the wine's gravelly character.

What foods pair well with Georges De La Tour 2021? Dry-aged ribeye steak complements its dark fruit and tannin structure. Braised lamb shank echoes its earthy, herbal tones. Aged Gruyère or Comté mirror its depth without overwhelming the palate. Dark chocolate desserts pick up on its cocoa and licorice notes. Roasted portobello mushrooms with herbs align with the wine's graphite and sage aromatics.

What sizes does Georges De La Tour 2021 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format.

Is Georges De La Tour 2021 worth the price? It positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, justified by its dedicated production facility, flagship status within the BV range, and a critical consensus rarely seen at any price—scoring 95 to 98+ points across five major publications and earning Wine Spectator's #2 Wine of the Year for 2024.

Why Georges De La Tour 2021?

Few American wines in any vintage collect the breadth of critical acclaim this 2021 release has received: 98+ from Jeb Dunnuck, 98 from James Suckling, 97 from Jane Anson, 95 from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, and a #2 Wine of the Year ranking from Wine Spectator. That consensus speaks to a wine firing on every cylinder—Rutherford terroir expressed through gravelly minerality, wild sage, and layered dark fruit, built on nearly nine decades of unbroken production history. The fact that BV maintains a standalone winery solely for this cuvée underscores its importance within one of Napa Valley's founding estates. For collectors and serious drinkers, the 2021 vintage represents a benchmark release with both immediate appeal and long-term cellaring potential.