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Wine Description
The Story
Inspiration for our Beaulieu Vineyard Rarities collection came from a special wine that legendary winemaking Andre Tchelistcheff first crafted in 1968 to show the distinctive, opulent expression of an extraordinarily high-quality vintage. Only three times since has a wine received such an honor at Beaulieu Vineyard, and the 2013 vintage revealed that time has come again.
Each magnum is individually numbered, tissue-wrapped, and delivered in a custom box, containing a catalog that captures the story of this incredible wine.
Wine Information
The Beaulieu Vineyard 2013 Rarity delivers massive power and weight, yet with uncommon elegance and suppleness. The wine's profuse aromas of blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate and violet are mirrored by the opulent flavors that explode on the palate. Seamlessly integrated vanilla and oak spice nuances, from barrel fermentation and aging in entirely new barrels, add even more complexity to the layered Cabernet Sauvignon expression. Rutherford Dust€ tannins contribute texture, while bright acidity keeps its fresh, purity of focus. This is a wine that will age for decades.
At the winery, we hand sorted first the clusters and then the destemmed grapes to retain only the highest quality fruit. For early integration of oak character and to enhance the supple mouthfeel, 56 percent of the Rarity components were barrel-fermented, with the balance in stainless steel and wood tanks. Following 30 to 35-days of maceration (skin contact) and gentle pressing in a basket press, the wine was returned to barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. To balance the tremendous intensity of dark fruit character, we chose to age this wine in 100 percent new barrels. Michel Rolland, who has consulted for Beaulieu Vineyard for nearly a decade, blended the wine components with Winemaker Jeffrey Stambor in January 2015, thus giving the wine time to marry before it was bottled in August 2015. Ten percent Petit Verdot from BV Ranch #1 added even more structure and complexity to the Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
Vintage 2013
While Napa Valley winemakers heralded the 2012 vintage as outstanding, the 2013 vintage was a magnificent! The unusually warm, dry winter promoted early budbreak, which gave the vines an early start to the 2013 growing season. Ideal conditions prevailed through flowering, fruit set and ripening, with the low rainfall keeping the grapes desirably small. While harvest was early, the bloom-to-harvest span was not compressed; thus, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot grapes benefited from adequate hangtime to develop exceptionally ripe, balanced flavors.