Georges de Latour Private Reserve (1983)

About this wine

This 1983 Georges de Latour Private Reserve shows a mature medium ruby color and a lighter frame than many recent vintages, reflecting a rainy harvest in Napa that year. Aromas and flavors center on red and black fruits with dried currant and plum notes, accompanied by earthy, forest floor and subtle vegetal tones. The palate is medium bodied with noticeable but integrated acidity and firm, dusty tannins that give a textured, slightly drying finish. Historically this bottling was made principally from Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of other Bordeaux varieties and aged in large oak vessels, which in the 1980s tended to be predominantly American oak and older barrels rather than the high percentage of new French oak used in later decades. Expect a wine that has evolved away from primary fruit toward tertiary savory and nutty notes while retaining the signature Rutherford dust tannin character.

About the grape

Cabernet Sauvignon is the central grape of Georges de Latour, a variety brought to prominence here by André Tchelistcheff who in the late 1930s turned a family private cuvee into Napa Valley’s benchmark Cabernet. The variety is valued for thick skins, high tannin and good acidity, and at Beaulieu it was farmed historically on Rutherford soils and trained using traditional cane and spur pruning to emphasize concentration and structure. During the 1940s and 1950s the wine was aged in American oak because French oak was unavailable, and through the 1980s the bottling remained essentially pure Cabernet with only tiny additions of other Bordeaux varieties in some years. Vine material has been updated over time with replanting and selected clones, but the Georges de Latour Private Reserve of 1983 reflects the older Rutherford vine plantings and winemaking practices that made this wine an icon of Napa Cabernet production.

Quick facts

• 🏆 Georges de Latour is widely credited as Napa Valley’s original “cult” Cabernet, a benchmark wine that helped define American fine wine prestige.
• 👨‍🔬 The Private Reserve began when BV’s famed winemaker André Tchelistcheff tasted the de Latour family’s own 1936 lot and insisted it be bottled separately, launching the label’s legacy.
• ☔️ The 1983 vintage is known for a rainy harvest that produced a noticeably lighter, more vegetal and elegant bottle than the richer 1982, making ’83 a distinctive, old-school expression.
• 👑 Georges de Latour has a history of high-society appearances — past bottles have been served to figures like Winston Churchill and royalty, adding a storied provenance to each release.
• 🌱 Much of the fruit for Private Reserve comes from vines first planted by Georges de Latour in the early 1900s and selected clonal plantings that yield small, concentrated berries prized for longevity.

Palate profile

Producer

Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) was founded in 1900 by Georges de Latour and his wife, Fernande, in Rutherford, California. The name "Beaulieu," meaning "beautiful place" in French, was inspired by Fernande's exclamation upon seeing the property. During Prohibition, BV thrived by producing sacramental wines for the Catholic Church, allowing it to expand significantly. In 1938, the winery hired André Tchelistcheff, a renowned winemaker who introduced innovative techniques and elevated BV's reputation, particularly with the creation of the "Georges de Latour Private Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, BV remains a cornerstone of Napa Valley's winemaking heritage, continuing to produce acclaimed wines from its historic vineyards.