▻ Trevor Durling of Beaulieu Vineyard

Let's Talk With

27 Jun

Written By Sarah Kemp

John Stimpfig in conversation with Trevor Durling

Episode Summary:-

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve was California’s first cult wine. John Stimpfig talks to Trevor Durling, its Chief Winemaker, who is only the fifth person to hold this position since the wine was launched in 1936. Trevor talks about Beaulieu Vineyards’ (known as BV) fascinating history, how Georges de Latour, who was originally from just outside Bordeaux, came to California and bought vineyards in the Napa Valley on the proceeds of selling his tartrate crystals business. When his wife saw the estate, she declared in French it was a “beautiful place “and that is how the winery got its name. During Prohibition, when many vintners went bust, he made money producing sacramental wine, and quadrupled the size of Beaulieu – many of its most important vineyards today were bought then, and when Prohibition ended in 1933, he had an annual production of over one million gallons of wine.

After Prohibition, Georges de Latour’s mind turned from quantity to quality. A professor at the University of California in Berkley told Georges de Latour about an enterprising young man working at the Institut Pasteur in Paris named André Tchelistcheff, and he persuaded him to come to the Napa Valley; soon, a new era was born. Today, Tchelistcheff is regarded as the father of the California fine-wine industry. André introduced many of the winemaking practices we take for granted today, such as frost control in the vineyards and controlled fermentation. In 1936, André tasted something extraordinary in the just-fermented wine, decided to keep his favourite barrels aside, and bottled them separately as a flagship wine for BV. Shortly afterwards, Georges de Latour died and the wine was named to commemorate him; ever afterwards, those best batches – the Private Reserve – were so designated.

““2020 is a sleeper, I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised.””

— Trevor Durling

John and Trevor agree that, despite its illustrious history, it hasn’t always been plain sailing. In 1969 Heublein bought the estate and decided to sell off the To Kalon vineyards in the Napa Valley, something which Trevor laments to this day; it is now owned by Treasury Estates, who are investing heavily in the vineyards and winemaking facilities.

Trevor discusses how he became a winemaker, which was not his original intention. A summer job at Sonoma-Cutrer opened his eyes to it, and in 2005 when he finished his degree, he became assistant winemaker at Moon Mountain Vineyards, which was owned by BV. In 2009 he went to Rutherford to help with the BV harvest and was invited to become its chief winemaker in 2017.

“What makes the wine so special is the vineyards,” Trevor tells John. He explains how they own and farm around 1000 acres across Napa Valley, with half of the vineyards planted in the Rutherford Bench. He is currently launching the 2020 Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve. The vintage was beset by problems (wildfires, the pandemic, reduced yields), but despite those challenges, he is happy with the wine. He tells John about how they dealt with the possibility of smoke taint by vinifying every block separately. John points out that the 2019 vintage is a tough act to follow, as it was rated by the critics as one of BV’s finest. Trevor says cheerfully, “2020 is a sleeper, I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised.” The 2020 Beaulieu Georges de Latour Private Reserve will be launched on The Place of Bordeaux this September.

Running Order:-

0.00 – 12.30

“Our winemaking philosophy is traditional; we really focus on making terroir- driven wines.” – Trevor Durling

– Georges de Latour comes to California and sets up a tartrate crystal company.
– De Latour sells the company and buys vineyards in Napa Valley.
– Beaulieu Vineyards succeeds during Prohibition by making sacramental wine.
– Georges de Latour persuades André Tchelistcheff to leave Paris for Napa Valley.
– André Tchelistcheff, the father of the modern California wine industry.
– 1936: the creation of the first Beaulieu Vineyard Private Reserve.
– Heublein buys BV and sells To Kalon vineyards.
12.31 – 33.56

“André Tchelistcheff is someone we refer to industry-wide as the Maestro or Father of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.” – Trevor Durling

– Treasury Estates buys Beaulieu Vineyard and invests in winemaking facilities and vineyards.
– Trevor Durling’s path to becoming chief winemaker in 2017.
– How Trevor Durling is dealing with climate change.
– Launching the 2020 BV Private Reserve.
– The challenges of the 2020 harvest.
– John Stimpfig’s verdict on the wines.

BV Georges de Latour, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
This 2020 possesses a gorgeous youthful colour and an intense nose brimming with primary red and blue fruits. Supremely elegant in the mouth with cassis, damson and blueberry alongside notes of graphite, ink and cocoa powder, it also displays stunning purity, poise and freshness with deft, creamy filigree tannins. Although a hotter vintage than 2019, this 2020 is exquisitely restrained and balanced, showcasing one of Napa’s greatest terroirs and winemaker Trevor Durling’s undoubted talent in the cellar. The wine opens up beautifully in the glass and is temptingly drinkable now. It will also repay and reward a long cellaring. Outstanding.

(NB: Partly because of the warm vintage, the grapes for this Private Reserve were picked early and are completely free of any smoke taint.)

Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot.
ABV 14.5%
Drink from 2024 to 2055+
Likely RRP £125-135, to be released in September 2023.

BV Georges de Latour, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
A truly textbook Private Reserve, made in a contemporary style to highlight BV’s impeccable Rutherford vineyards, this is an undoubted star of a great Napa Cabernet vintage. Bright and youthful in colour, a profoundly floral and fruit-driven nose sets the tone. The attack on the palate is sublime, with stunning purity, balance and length. The range of layered flavours varies from violets to blackberry, raspberry, minerals and a savoury hint of tobacco pouch. Right now, the oak is entirely hidden, only manifesting in the plush, succulent and tight-knit tannins that support the fruit. The fresh acidity is also perfectly judged and aligned. I was able to enjoy this wine in my glass for more than two hours. Throughout that time, it kept on improving, whilst revealing new facets. This sensationally good Private Reserve will age and improve over the next decades.

Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot.
ABV 14.7%
Drink from 2023 to 2058+
RRP £125-135, from various international wine merchants.

BV Georges de Latour, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Made by Joel Aiken, this mature Private Reserve put in a strong showing alongside its two younger siblings. The 2002 vintage in Napa was a slightly unsung hero at the turn of the century with many of the top wines being slow-burners, and this is one of them. It reveals some bricking on the rim, while the core remains impressively dark. The nose also retains some attractive primary red and black scents alongside developing tertiary notes of ceps and undergrowth. In the mouth are clear flavours of cassis and cherry, together with more savoury notes of leather, caramel, truffle and balsam. The texture is fleshy and more loose-knit, with a slightly drying finish. I’d be very happy to drink this over the next seven or eight years.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV 14.5%
Drink from 2023 to 2031
RRP around £100 (in bond).

JS – June 23

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