Beaulieu Vineyards “Beauzeaux” 2005 wine review by (PB)

BV has a soft spot in my heart as one of the first wineries I fell in love with as a neo-enophile.
(NW) and I availed ourselves of the tastings at BV when visiting Napa a couple years ago and I’m not sure but may have tried their humorously named “Beauzeaux” (BOZO) wine.

The wine of a few years ago was a nice conglomeration of several different grapes, well made, and rather tasty if not delicious. That wine ran around $25.

So when (NW) and I saw the newly labeled “Beauzeaux” replete with silly cartoon graphic juggler complete with bottle tag that contains three “tricks” you can play on your friends we were skeptical that this could be the same wine since it also cost only $10. (NW) said, “You be the guinea pig and if its any good tell me and I’ll pick some more up for both of us.

Well, this new wine is a blend of 8 grapes. It is cherry/purple rimmed with a pretty crystal color with a bouquet of slight vanilla with a blasts of dill in the nose.

In the mouth the wine is thin with toasty notes on the front palate but nondescript all the way around. It tastes like a blend of, well 8 grapes, none of which really come together. The wine is awkward, though drinkable, and tart. This strikes me a s a wine in search of an identity–a casualty of marketing and mass production. It is an oddity to be sure and not worth getting again.

I am disappointed that BV prostituted itself by ruining a nice wine for the pressures of popularity.

ER–host of the great NZ Sauvignon Blanc tasting blogged previously, was up for the weekend and agreed with this essential review. It was fun; it’s always fun tasting new wines–even odd ones so raise a glass!