The bottle and label scream elegance, but have you tasted this before?
Ed and Trish Snider started the winery almost 30 years ago with Dave Phinney at the winemaking helm. They had a simple aim: to make wine that would compete with the greatest wines in the world. Kirk Venge came onboard as winemaker in 2008, producing wines that received scores ranging from 93 to 100 points. This wine is part of that vision.
In 2019, Charles Bartlett became the new owner, appointing Julien Fayard, of Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, and Atelier Melka fame, as head winemaker, quickly establishing his stellar reputation in the Napa community.
The Beau Vigne Collection continues the tradition and vision to create exceptional wines, sourcing grapes from Atlas Peak, Pritchard Hill, as well as Howell Mountain, Oakville, and Rutherford. Mountain fruit is favored because of the natural restraint and finesse inherent in the terroir.
Seductive aromas of blackberries, plum, and oak draw you in, making promises you pray the first sip will deliver.
The palate is smooth and inviting, with depth and complexity evident, as well as impeccable balance and well-integrated tannins. Interwoven layers of blackberries, cassis, plums, vanilla/oak, and dark chocolate, with secondary layers of blueberries, dark cherries, and baking spices. There is a rich, velvety mouthfeel, and not from overripe fruit, that is balanced with proportional acidity. As I said, everything is in balance and where it should be.
Cellar time: 2035 with confidence.
Food pairings should include red meat- just make sure it is worthy of this wine.
There is an unconfirmed rating of 94 Pt. I read it somewhere months ago and cannot find it again, of course.
Vine to Table 