Saturday, August 12, 2006

Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve 2001 wine review by (PB)

This wine is a complete mystery to me because every time the Wine Spectator reviews this wine of any of the past five or six vintages, they utterly trash it. So here goes my review and then I’ll copy in the Wine Spectator review for comparison.

This wine is medium garnet on the pour with rich ripe black cherry, plum, currant and cola in the bouquet. The nose reveals a touch of spice and more of the same of what I found in the bouquet.

In the mouth it is tasty, rich, and spicy with a tannic base though a tad bitter at the end.

With a half hour of air there isn’t much change accept for a little cedar and more of the above. This wine would benefit from a few more years in the bottle.

Tapestry is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot each of which is vinified separately and then blended together—not the routine way of making a blend. I have always been a big fan of BV’s Tapestry and while this is not one of their better vintages, I just don’t get the Wine Spectator’s assessment which is as follows:

“An awkward effort, with a chalky flavor, under ripe fruit and green, bitter flavors on the finish. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.” Score 72 points…

My reviews and ratings are generally very close to the folks at the Wine Spectator except for when it comes to BV's Tapestry. Several years ago BV had a serious TCA problem and all I can think is that whoever is reviewing the Tapestry has an incredible sensitivity to TCA which apparently eludes my palate. (TCA is a contaminant which can impart off flavors and aromas to wine.)

At any rate, my wife and I both enjoyed this wine paired with veal chops on the grill Tuscan style and the bottle was emptied—always a good sign. The Tapestry line costs $35-$45 routinely. This particular year was not worth the $38 I paid for it, but neither does it merit the pathetic 72 points the folks at WS gave it.

I have two more bottles in my cellar; a 98 and a 99. I look forward to raising a glass of both!

If you have tasted this wine—we would REALLY love to hear what you thought of it!

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:47 PM

    I couldn't agree more about the WS scoring on these wines. The moral of the story is... trust your own palate!

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  2. I just had a bottle of this vintage of Tapestry. I found your tasting notes to be accurate, but with a bit more of the age of the wine starting to show with leather and tobacco notes on the nose, and transparent tannins on the pallet. It was nice and long but not spectacular by any means. I'd give it a WS rating in the mid to upper 80's.

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  3. Anonymous2:46 PM

    I just had a bottle last night (December 31, 2008) and thought it was delicious. I have noticed that neither the WA nor WS have reviewed it in the past two or three years, and I think it has improved significantly in the bottle over the last year. Although not the best Tapestry I've ever had -- the 1994 was superb -- this one is much better than the WS rating. I'd give it an 89 or 90 at this stage.

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