Dark staining ruby. Green, weirdly musty nose punctuated with graphite and dirt not particularly pleasant or appealing. Fat and flabby, showing over-ripe fruit or Southern-European varieties gone, well… South. Flaccid pond-water and shrill burn late-breathe.
Way too much make-up obscures what possibly would be a fresh natural beauty. Too many varietal experiences have dulled it at a young age into something angry and southern european, loud and fat, in shapeless clothes, demanding attention in the wrong ways. Moldy dullness, artificial flavor and over-ripe oxidation defines the smell; bitter chemical androgyny outlines the touch.
I bought a bunch of these on deep closeout a few years ago and thought them moderate deals at the time. I remember my notes at the time, thinking them a bit harsh for the general tourist public but a viable Napa Valley red blend offering. (notes 2 years ago) My opinion has changed somewhat. Now at 6 years, they lack fruit and verve, showing only a disparate mish-mash of grapes rapidly oxidizing and an other-worldly chemical burn.
In the mouth, an entry far beyond its years reduces all the warring additions to this bottle into an ambiguous meld of nothingness, spiked with heat and off-flavors. An alcohol burn creeps from almost the get-go, and the inner workings of it are the only places you see nuances of the Napa Valley at work. Present in the bitterness are strong hints at green bark and red dust and dry bench, but it doesn’t show itself anywhere else. Fruit is thin and cheap, thinning mercilessly. It’s like someone threw strawberry jam against a brick wall in front of a firing-squad. A wine progressing awkwardly and not one I enjoy at this juncture.
2010 BEAULIEU VINEYARDS Beaurouge Red Wine Napa Valley (8 varieties) 14.5
Stephen McConnell 