When Fernande saw the land she exclaimed “Quel Beaulieu” which in French means beautiful place, thus Beaulieu Vineyard® was named. This new venture for the de Latours was timely. In fact, Napa Valley had been suffering because of a vine-destroying louse called phylloxera. Thanks to Georges’ knowledge of the cure for phylloxera - resistant rootstock that he would import by the millions over the next decade - prosperity would return to Napa Valley, and Georges would soon be a most influential and well-known figure.
As the St. Helena Star wrote in May, 1911: "When it comes to quality, California is greatly indebted to Mr. G. de Latour, of Rutherford, who for some years has imported hundreds of thousands of the choicest French grafted vines, which have been planted in all the important vineyards of the State."
In retirement, he devoted his time to consulting for new wineries and vineyards around the world, encouraging new ideas and working to improve the quality of wine. He was among the first to understand the importance of cold fermentation and proper filtration for fine white wine production. He created the first frost-protection system in Napa Valley and pioneered small oak aging for red and white wines.
The 1980’s saw more change. Two vineyards were purchased in Carneros, and two more were bought in St. Helena and Calistoga. Beaulieu Vineyard was engaged in a major, pioneering study of Cabernet Sauvignon clones with U.C. Davis, and Joel Aiken was doing extensive research on oak aging. As the 1980’s progressed, it became clear that Aiken was someone who understood Beaulieu Vineyard. Aiken became Head Winemaker in 1985, and made the most of the excellent 1985-87 vintages. By the early 1990’s, Aiken became the new Director of Winemaking for Beaulieu Vineyard. He reinvigorated the company, bringing a sense of continuity and consistency to Beaulieu Vineyard and its bold vision for making benchmark wines.
Some of our innovations include:
The
introduction of French oak aging to the Private Reserve program, an extensive experimental
program producing distinctive lots of unique varietals such as Syrah, Sangiovese, Pinot
Gris and Viognier, and the creation of two high-end Cabernets that are expressions of the
very best cabernet clones in the Napa Valley. These are Clone 4 and Clone 6 Cabernet.
Beaulieu Vineyard celebrated its centennial in 2000. At that time we looked back on a past of unrelenting passion and bold vision. Today we look forward to the next 100 years and an exciting future.
We are located on Highway 29, a picturesque
road that will take you from Carneros to Calistoga. We are located next to the Rutherford
Grill, the second right after the Rutherford Cross Road.
Beaulieu Vineyard
1960 St. Helena Highway
Rutherford, CA 94573
Part of the Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines Family