Beaulieu Vineyard

Beaulieu Vineyard was established in 1900 when Georges de Latour, born in Bordeaux in 1856 and an immigrant to California in 1883, bought 4 acres in Rutherford, Napa Valley, with his wife Fernande. The name comes from Fernande's exclamation 'Quel beau lieu!,' or 'What a beautiful place!,' on seeing the land. Georges made his first fortune in cream of tartar before turning to wine. A 1911 St. Helena Star article credited him with importing 'hundreds of thousands of the choicest French grafted vines, which have been planted in all the important vineyards in the State.' The de Latours expanded steadily, buying 127 acres in 1903 (now BV Ranch No. 1) and adding BV Ranch No. 2 in 1907. In 1907 they also obtained a warrant to produce sacramental wine for the Catholic Church, and the winery never stopped selling wine through the 13-year Prohibition ban; production grew fourfold. In 1923 Georges bought the neighboring stone winery, built in 1885 by California State Senator Seneca Ewer and designed by winery architect Hamden McIntyre. Georges de Latour died in 1940. Fernande, named a BV director at the company's first board meeting in 1904, immediately became president and led the winery until her death in 1951, when her daughter Hélène became president.

• Georges de Latour was born in Bordeaux in 1856, immigrated to California in 1883 and made his first fortune in cream of tartar before turning to wine
• BV obtained a warrant in 1907 to produce sacramental wine for the Catholic Church and kept selling wine through the 13-year Prohibition ban, as production grew fourfold
• The 1885 stone winery BV bought in 1923 was built by California State Senator Seneca Ewer and designed by winery architect Hamden McIntyre
• Fernande de Latour was named a BV director at the company's first board meeting in 1904; after Georges died in 1940 she became president, and after her death in 1951 her daughter Hélène became president

Georges de Latour went to France in search of a winemaker with a scientific background and met André Tchelistcheff, a Russian-born enologist working at the Institut National Agronomique and the Pasteur Institute. The introduction came through Leon Bonnet, an Emeritus Professor at UC Berkeley and BV's consulting enologist, who retired in 1937. Tchelistcheff arrived in Napa Valley in September 1938 as BV's vice president and chief winemaker and held the role until he retired in 1973, after 35 years. He returned to BV as a consultant in 1991. Born in Moscow on December 7, 1901, he died in 1994. At BV he pioneered small-lot fermentation, a cool room for white wine fermentation and malolactic fermentation for red wines, and in the vineyards he introduced European cultivation and pruning methods. Drawn to Pinot Noir, he expanded BV's winegrowing into Carneros in 1961. In 1947 he opened the Napa Valley Enological Research Laboratory and Napa Valley Enological Center to promote continuing education across the industry. Known as 'the Maestro,' Tchelistcheff mentored or consulted for winemakers who went on to shape California and Washington wine, including Robert Mondavi, Warren Winiarski (whose Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973 SLV Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded the most points at the 1976 Judgment of Paris), Rob Davis of Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Joel Aiken, Mike Grgich, and his nephew Alex Golitzin, who co-founded Quilceda Creek Winery with his wife Jeannette.

• Tchelistcheff arrived in Napa Valley in September 1938 as BV's vice president and chief winemaker, introduced to Georges de Latour through Leon Bonnet, an Emeritus Professor at UC Berkeley and BV's consulting enologist
• He held the role until he retired in 1973, after 35 years, and returned to BV as a consultant in 1991 (born December 7, 1901, in Moscow; d. 1994)
• At BV he pioneered small-lot fermentation, a cool room for white wine fermentation, and malolactic fermentation for red wines; in 1947 he opened the Napa Valley Enological Research Laboratory and Napa Valley Enological Center
• His passion for Pinot Noir led him to expand BV's winegrowing into Carneros in 1961; mentees and consulting clients included Robert Mondavi, Warren Winiarski of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Rob Davis of Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Joel Aiken, Mike Grgich, and his nephew Alex Golitzin, co-founder of Quilceda Creek Winery

When Tchelistcheff arrived at BV in 1938, he tasted a lot of 1936 Cabernet Sauvignon that the de Latour family had made as its private wine, and insisted it be bottled separately. Georges told him over a glass: 'This wine shows what's possible. I want all my wines to be this good. That's why I've brought you here.' In 1941 that wine became the inaugural release of the Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, though a separate BV history timeline marks 1990 as the wine's 50th anniversary, which implies a 1940 release, so BV's own pages disagree on the date. In 1949 the Private Reserve was poured for guests including President Harry Truman at a luncheon at New York's Gracie Mansion marking the laying of the United Nations cornerstone. BV has since been served at the White House during almost every presidential administration. Tchelistcheff introduced aging in small French oak barrels; after the United States entered World War II the wine moved to small American oak barrels, which remained the practice at BV until 1989. The 2022 Georges de Latour Private Reserve is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot from clones 4, 6, 7, 8 and 169, aged 21 months in French oak barrels of which 95% were new.

• First vintage 1936, the de Latour family's private wine, championed by Tchelistcheff; inaugural release 1941, though a separate BV history timeline marks 1990 as the 50th anniversary, implying 1940
• Poured for President Harry Truman in 1949 at a Gracie Mansion luncheon marking the laying of the UN cornerstone; BV has since been served at the White House during almost every presidential administration
• Aging moved from small French oak to small American oak barrels after the US entered World War II, and American oak remained the practice at BV until 1989
• 2022 vintage: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot from clones 4, 6, 7, 8 and 169, aged 21 months in French oak (95% new)

BV sources fruit from its own Napa Valley estate and Carneros vineyards and from a number of high-quality growers across the region; BV Ranch No. 1, Ranch No. 2 and Ranch No. 8 are its most significant estate vineyards. Ranch No. 1, bought in 1903 (127 acres at the time), lies next to the winery in the heart of the Rutherford AVA and takes in the original 4-acre parcel where BV began. Today it is a 128-acre property planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot on well-draining gravel loam soils that allow deep rooting. Ranch No. 2, bought in 1907, sits on the southern Rutherford bench and is planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon; sun exposure and regular morning fog give it a long, even growing season. Ranch No. 8, in the Los Carneros AVA, is known for Chardonnay with aromas of stone fruit, citrus and floral notes. BV describes the area's character as 'Rutherford Dust,' most commonly expressed as soft, cocoa-powder tannins in wines that are elegant and age well. Tchelistcheff is credited with the line 'It takes Rutherford Dust to grow great Cabernet Sauvignon,' though BV allows that he 'may have said this in jest.' BV is a founding member of the Rutherford Dust Society.

• Ranch No. 1: 127 acres bought in 1903, next to the winery; today a 128-acre property planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot on well-draining gravel loam soils
• Ranch No. 2: bought in 1907, on the southern Rutherford bench, planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon, with morning fog and sun exposure giving a long growing season
• Ranch No. 8, in the Los Carneros AVA, is known for Chardonnay with aromas of stone fruit, citrus and floral notes
• 'Rutherford Dust' means soft, cocoa-powder tannins; Tchelistcheff is credited, possibly in jest, with the line 'It takes Rutherford Dust to grow great Cabernet Sauvignon'; BV is a founding member of the Rutherford Dust Society

The de Latour family sold BV to Heublein Inc. in 1969, the same year Heublein bought neighboring Inglenook Vineyards. Heublein was later acquired by RJR Nabisco and then sold to Grand Metropolitan, which was renamed Diageo in a merger with Guinness; Diageo acquired BV in 1997. Treasury Wine Estates has owned BV since 2016. Trevor Durling joined BV as General Manager and Chief Winemaker in 2017; Nate Weis joined as General Manager and Senior Winemaker in 2025, and Megan Twitchell, who joined the winemaking team in 2019, is BV's winemaker. Large-scale renovation of the historic 1885 stone winery began in 2024; the restored winery and hospitality center is now open, with tasting experiences that range from a $50 introductory tasting to a $60,000 full-day 'Legacy Experience' led by Nate Weis. The current portfolio spans Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, along with red blends such as Tapestry Reserve and Madame de Latour. The winery runs on 100% renewable energy, including power from a new 1,500-panel solar array, toward a goal of carbon-neutral operations by 2030, and received the California Green Medal Leader Award in 2023.

• Ownership chain: de Latour family to 1969; Heublein Inc. from 1969; acquired by RJR Nabisco, then sold to Grand Metropolitan, renamed Diageo in its merger with Guinness (Diageo acquired BV in 1997); Treasury Wine Estates since 2016
• Trevor Durling joined as General Manager and Chief Winemaker in 2017; Nate Weis became General Manager and Senior Winemaker in 2025; Megan Twitchell, who joined the winemaking team in 2019, is BV's winemaker
• Large-scale renovation of the historic 1885 stone winery began in 2024; the restored winery and hospitality center is now open, with tasting experiences ranging from a $50 introductory tasting to a $60,000 full-day 'Legacy Experience'
• The winery runs on 100% renewable energy, including a new 1,500-panel solar array, toward a goal of carbon-neutral operations by 2030; BV received the California Green Medal Leader Award in 2023

BV's Cabernet Sauvignons carry the Rutherford Dust signature: soft, cocoa-powder tannins in wines that are elegant and age well. Reviewing the 2023 Georges de Latour Private Reserve for JamesSuckling.com in November 2025, Ryan Montgomery wrote that 'the level of refinement and purity is immense, with flashy, perfumed aromas of black currants, olive brine, graphite, violets, mocha and licorice,' with 'a silken mouthfeel and fine-boned tannins that lead to a refined, pure and succulent finish,' calling it 'a truly excellent wine from an excellent vintage' and scoring it 99 points. James Suckling gave the 2019 vintage 100 points and a Wine of the Year accolade in 2022. The Napa Wine Project's tasting notes find cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, mulberry, violets and cocoa powder on the 2022 Private Reserve's bouquet, with tannins it calls gravelly, dusty and chalky.

• Rutherford Dust character: soft, cocoa-powder tannins in elegant, age-worthy wines
• 2023 Georges de Latour Private Reserve (99 points, Ryan Montgomery, JamesSuckling.com, November 2025): 'flashy, perfumed aromas of black currants, olive brine, graphite, violets, mocha and licorice' with 'a silken mouthfeel and fine-boned tannins'
• 2019 Georges de Latour Private Reserve: 100 points and a Wine of the Year accolade from James Suckling in 2022
• 2022 Private Reserve, in the Napa Wine Project's tasting notes: 'cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, mulberry, violets and cocoa powder' on the bouquet, with 'gravelly, dusty and chalky' tannins

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.bvwines.com/, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/a-beautiful-place, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/the-maestro, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/rutherford-dust, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/napas-first-cult-cabernet, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/winemaking, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/renovation, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/visit, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/reserve-2023-georges-de-latour-private-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon, https://www.bvwines.com/collections/cabernet-sauvignon, https://www.bvwines.com/collections/private-reserve-cabernet-sauvignon, https://www.bvwines.com/collections/other-reds, https://www.bvwines.com/collections/white-wines, https://www.bvwines.com/collections/red-blends, https://www.bvwines.com/pages/maps-directions, https://www.bvwines.com/blogs/the-pour-by-bv/bv-was-there-the-1970s-90s-the-calm-below-the-surface, https://www.bvwines.com/blogs/the-pour-by-bv/bv-was-there-2010-to-today-a-new-era, https://www.bvwines.com/blogs/the-pour-by-bv/bv-was-there-the-rise-to-global-fame-1. Secondary sources: The Napa Wine Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Tchelistcheff. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.