So, I’ll age myself a bit here (technically I am a millenial) but it wasn’t that I started to learn a bit about the history of Napa Valley that I started paying closer attention to Beaulieu Vineyard.  Originally folks learn about Beaulieu through their entry level wines, available in most grocery stores and drug stores in America.  Of course, the history is a bit more interesting.

Planted by Georges de Latour, Beaulieu was one of the early quality winners in the valley.  Being more far sighted than near term, they tended the grapes in the same fashion during Prohibition as they had in the years leading up to it, so when Repeal finally came along they were ready to literally make the best wine on the market (well apologies to Inglenook which would surely at least argue the point). The stroke of genius though was the hiring of Andre Tchelistcheff who made the wines into the most collectible in America and also happened to make himself what amounts to the first celebrity in winemaking.

These days Beaulieu is still owned by major corporate interests (hell, the website asks you what country you live in! Diego at last check) which necissitates the continued production of cheaper wine (after all, the average price per bottle sold in America still hovers at about $10) but the high end has made quite a comeback, with a Cabernet bottling from their estate consistently scoring well into the mid 90 point range and making it a solid choice in any premium wine club that you might consider joining.