Beau Vigne Reserve Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2022
Watching “The Sticky” series on Netflix, we had some of the leftover delicious beef tenderloin in avocado sandwiches. I opened this premium Napa Red Blend from a just received shipment that we were eager to try. This is another Big Red from another emerging interesting Napa producer who produces a wide portfolio of wines from estate and contract growers and purchased lot sources.
If the pedigree of the winemaker says anything, then Beau Vigne is in a distinguished class with 100-point winemaker Julien Fayard (Lafite Rothschild, Smith Haut Lafitte, Melka, Quintessa, Realm, Covert Estate), and where Dave Phinney was the founding winemaker! Note also, the collaboration with Philippe Melka, and contribution of another of our fav’s, winemaker Kirk Venge.
I featured Beau Vigne in detail in a more extensive blogpost last summer - Beau Vigne Napa Valley Proprietary Red, and several other blogposts such as the one’s below.
The producer writes - “Our Napa Valley winery is devoted exclusively to making influential luxury Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon Blends. Taking inspiration from our founding winemaker Dave Phinney who sought out to make red wines that would compete with the greatest wines of the world. This tradition was enhanced by the addition of winemaker Kirk Venge in 2008 through 2018/19 who obtained a perfect 100 Points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Present-day winemaking is now in the hands of Julien Fayard who hails from the legendary first growth Château Lafite-Rothschild and Atelier Melka before becoming the brilliant up and coming new winemaker in Napa Valley.”
Beau Vigne was taken over by Charles Bartlett when he purchased the brand in 2019 with the intent to carry on the dream created by Ed and Trish Snider, whom he has known for many years. Charles has worked in Napa since the late 1970s and has built a successful wine trading company, working with many of the top names in the mountain AVAs.
Bartlettl hired Julien Fayard to establish and oversee modern practices in the vineyard and in the cellar. The release of beau Vigne CULT Cabernet Sauvignon, beacme one of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed labels with year-over-year 93 to 98 points from critics. Beau Vigne continues the tradition of hand-harvested grapes planted and grown on Atlas Peak, the Pritchard Hill region and other viticultural areas of Napa Valley including Howell Mountain, Oakville and Rutherford.
We featured our tastings from the Beau Vigne portfolio in these recent blogposts:
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/10/beau-vigne-reserve-proprietary-red-wine.html
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/10/beau-vigne-proprietary-red-byob-at.html
Beau Vigne Reserve Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2022
Unlike an earlier release of the same label back in 2013, this release doesn’t list the blend and is therefore presumed to be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon?
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/07/beau-vigne-napa-valley-proprietary-red.html
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, rich round ripe black berry and black currant fruits with spicy acidity, hints of graphite, bittersweet dark chocolate, cassis and black tea on a full lingering finish.
RM 92 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5207604
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5207604
