Beaulieu is one of the grande dames of California winemaking – they’ve been producing world-class wines since before most of us were born.   And these folks know how to make cabernet wines – their George LaTour line of $100+ wines consistently garner great reviews.   In the past, they’ve sold their entry level Rutherford cab wines at Costco, along with their mid-priced Tapestry wine.

On occasion, you’ll see this Napa Cab for about $14, but recently, this Napa cab went “on sale” for about $11 — $7 less than you’d pay for this wine at other retailers. This is an excellent value for folks who appreciate or want to learn about Napa cabernet and should be around at this discounted price for most of February.  In our efforts to endeavors to discover (and support) boutique wineries, sometimes we forget that the large corporate wineries know what they are doing and can produce some kick-ass wine at very competitive prices.

Beaulieu is big, but you can taste why they’ve been successful.  Right out of the bottle, this cab has lovely legs, red fruits, (primarily plum and cherry) with almost no tartness.  Full bodied but not too tannic or sweet, with a moderate length finish thanks to just the right amount of oak.

This is a great socializing, dinner wine with light but flavorful taste with great depth, balance and complexity.  When you sip this, you experience what makes Napa cabs so unusual and special.  At $11, you want to buy a case or two of this and enjoy it for the next few years.

–Review by Michael S

Rating:  91

Price: $10.99

Costco Item #: 171928

Purchased at Costco in: San Diego, CA