Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve 1974

The 1974 Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) Georges de Latour Private Reserve is a legendary bottle in the history of California Cabernet Sauvignon, representing a milestone from one of Napa Valley's greatest vintage decades.

APPEARANCE
A deeply evolved, faded medium brick-tawny or amber color with browning edges.

NOSE
Highly aromatic, classic old-school Napa. Expect complex, tertiary aromas of dried cranberries, cherry cola, singed leather, cigar box/tobacco, tilled soil, and a touch of dried flowers or eucalyptus.

PALATE
The primary fruit has largely receded, replaced by savory, earthy, and umami characteristics. Well-preserved bottles retain a silky, plush texture with resolved, fine-grained tannins and a surprising splash of lingering acidity that prevents it from feeling flat.

FINISH
Elegant, lingering notes of espresso, mocha, and brown baking spices.

Wine Spectator: 93

Wine Advocate: 92
1974 was an “outstanding” vintage, according to André Tchelistcheff. This comment is backed up by a number of great, long-lived Napa wines I have tasted from this year, including Heitz Martha’s Vineyard and Chappellet. It was a vintage that clearly produced a notably fuller/riper style at Beaulieu. Medium brick-tawny colored, the 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour gives up intense scents of cherry cola, leather, tilled soil, dried cranberries and preserved plums with subtle nuances of eucalyptus, smoked meats, iron ore and raisin cake. Medium to full-bodied, opulently fruited and packed with spicy dried berries, it has a plush texture, seamless freshness and a long, earthy finish. A riper expression, the alcohol has crept up to 13.5% this year from 12.5% examples made in the 1960s. A whopping 29,900 cases were made—the largest production in the history of this label.

Wine Advocate: 92

1974 was an “outstanding” vintage, according to André Tchelistcheff. This comment is backed up by a number of great, long-lived Napa wines I have tasted from this year, including Heitz Martha’s Vineyard and Chappellet. It was a vintage that clearly produced a notably fuller/riper style at Beaulieu. Medium brick-tawny colored, the 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour gives up intense scents of cherry cola, leather, tilled soil, dried cranberries and preserved plums with subtle nuances of eucalyptus, smoked meats, iron ore and raisin cake. Medium to full-bodied, opulently fruited and packed with spicy dried berries, it has a plush texture, seamless freshness and a long, earthy finish. A riper expression, the alcohol has crept up to 13.5% this year from 12.5% examples made in the 1960s. A whopping 29,900 cases were made—the largest production in the history of this label.

Vinous: 94
The 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour was served blind at a restaurant in Beaune, from a vintage where California excelled. The wine is in a very beautiful place, born in a year when, in my limited experience, California could do no wrong. There is a noticeable maturation in color, with just a touch of turbidity. The bouquet instantly puts your mind at rest that you are in the company of a noble Napa Cabernet. Vestiges of red fruit, mulberry, singed leather, espresso and light terracotta aromas meld together effortlessly. You’re already in the palm of its hand before putting the glass to your lips. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grain tannins and brown spices intermixed with dark berry fruit and an easy-going yet persistent mocha and espresso-tinged finish. The 1974 is not a show-off. It’s just an exquisite, mature Californian Cabernet entering its dotage with panache. 94/Drink 2023-2040.

Vinous: 94

The 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour was served blind at a restaurant in Beaune, from a vintage where California excelled. The wine is in a very beautiful place, born in a year when, in my limited experience, California could do no wrong. There is a noticeable maturation in color, with just a touch of turbidity. The bouquet instantly puts your mind at rest that you are in the company of a noble Napa Cabernet. Vestiges of red fruit, mulberry, singed leather, espresso and light terracotta aromas meld together effortlessly. You’re already in the palm of its hand before putting the glass to your lips. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grain tannins and brown spices intermixed with dark berry fruit and an easy-going yet persistent mocha and espresso-tinged finish. The 1974 is not a show-off. It’s just an exquisite, mature Californian Cabernet entering its dotage with panache. 94/Drink 2023-2040.

James Suckling: 94