In 1900 Georges de Latour decided to surprise his wife and buy a parcel of land in a small town called Rutherford in Napa Valley. Over the next decade he imported millions of phylloxera-resistant vines. The St. Helena Star wrote in 1911 "When it comes to quality, California is greatly indebted to Mr. G. de Latour, who for some years has imported the choicest French grafted vines, which have been planted in all the important vineyards of the State." When prohibition began in 1919, BV was one of only a handful of producers able to stay in business due to a national contract to supply altar wine to churches across the nation. Within the next ten years, Georges expanded the winery three times, and volume grew to more than one million gallons. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, he had become a wealthy man. Beaulieu is now a leading innovator with Napa Valley Cabernet clones, and their current Rutherford release is well worth your attention. Rich and supple.