On the eve of the final round of one of the most memorable Memorial Tournaments in history, Jack Nicklaus Wines made its own headlines. Nicklaus and Terlato Wines announced on Saturday the launch of the Golden Bear Reserve Commemorative Series, a limited-edition Napa Valley red to celebrate the golf legend’s record 18 professional major championships. The first release will take place this year on the 50th anniversary of Jack’s first professional victory and first major championship title—the 1962 U.S. Open Championship.
The partnership also uncorked on Saturday the highly anticipated release of its first-ever white wine to compliment its hugely successful reds. The Private Reserve is a 2001 Napa Valley white wine blend with a Sauvignon Blanc base. It features lush fruit at the front palate followed by a rich and textured mid-palate and a delicate and long finish. The wine has a magical combination of finesse and weight. Intriguing aromas of citrus, stone fruit and green apple, and subtle hints of floral and caramel awaken the senses. Only 541 cases are available for sale.
The Golden Bear Reserve Commemorative Series was inspired by the 50th anniversary of Jack’s first major championship. Each year for the next 18 years, Nicklaus wines will release a single limited-edition 1.5-liter bottle Napa Valley red blend to celebrate each one of Nicklaus’ major championships. Produced by Terlato Wine Group, each release will be limited to 1,000 bottles and each bottle will be packaged in an individual wooden display box and accompanied by a letter from Jack that includes his reflections on that major victory.
Nicklaus dominated golf for more than a quarter century, winning his record number of major championships between 1962 and 1986. The wines in the Golden Bear Reserve Commemorative Series will trace that remarkable career arc.
Nicklaus was a 22-year-old rookie in June 1962 when he defeated golf’s reigning king, Arnold Palmer, in an 18-hole playoff at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club to win the U.S. Open. “Now that the big guy is out of the cage, everybody better run for cover,” Palmer said at the time, and he was right. Nicklaus went on to claim three more U.S. Opens (for a record-tying four), six Masters, five PGA Championships and The Open Championship three times.
“Each major had its own storyline, its own drama, and each was special to me for different reasons,” Nicklaus said. “We think a wine blend from Napa Valley, with its own vintage character, will be a great way for golf fans and wine lovers to share in what was for me a life-changing experience and what created a lifetime of memories.”
The Series kicks off this month with a release of a Napa Valley red blend from the stellar 2009 vintage that pays tribute to Jack’s first major victory at Oakmont Country Club 50 years ago. The inaugural blend is 55 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 36 percent Merlot, 8 percent Petit Verdot and 1 percent Cabernet Franc. The winemaker selected the finest lots from the Terlato Family Estate vineyards, in addition to some of the most sought-after fruit from renowned vineyard sites in the Napa Valley. From these limited selections, a blending and barrel selection process was conducted from hundreds of lots, and just seven barrels, aged for almost two years in French oak, were chosen for this esteemed bottling.
The inaugural edition of the Golden Bear Reserve Commemorative Series magnums will be released this month. It will be available in limited accounts internationally and online at www.uncorked.com/jack-nicklaus-wines/. The initial release price is expected to be $600.
The Nicklaus wines are made with the Terlato family in a partnership formed when the golf legend visited the Terlatos’ vineyards in Napa Valley. The handcrafted wines debuted at the Nicklaus-hosted Memorial Tournament in 2010 and whining a day, 1,000 cases were sold. The line’s first white wine and the Golden Bear Commemorative Series build upon this success.
Terlato Wines International (TWI) has a global portfolio of more than 60 brands from an array of world-class wine producers and presently markets more than one out of ten bottles of wine over $14 sold in America. TWI garners more 90+ ratings than any wine company in the world and is a division of the Terlato Wine Group, the parent company comprising several businesses specializing in the marketing and production of exceptional wines.
For more information visit https://www.uncorked.com/jack-nicklaus-wines/.
