Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Flowery incense, tobacco leaf, crème de cassis, currants, and scorched earth notes all dominate the bouquet of the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard. With classic To Kalon sexiness as well as full-bodied power and richness, it stays beautifully balanced and offers ripe tannins as well as a great finish. It's another brilliant wine from this estate that’s up with the top handful of wines in the vintage.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fruit for this was harvested from September 25-29, fermented in oak, stainless and puncheon and aged in 82% new oak. Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, containing 5% Petit Verdot, is a tad broody to begin, reluctantly revealing black fruit notions of stewed plums, blackcurrant cordial, dried bay leaves and tree bark with wafts of truffles and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate has densely packed, taut, muscular black fruits and tons of earthy accents, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long and wonderfully evocative of this incredible vineyard. Bravo!
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James Suckling
This is big and tight with beautifully polished tannins and gravel-like and inky flavor and texture. It’s muscular, yet long and focused. Wet earth under the dark berries. Chewy and pretty. Needs time to soften. Drink after 2022.
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Wine Spectator
A ripe, polished and bold wine, with creamed plum and blackberry fruit flavors gliding through, infused with smoldering black tea, singed alder and bittersweet cocoa notes. The cocoa edge adds a nice textural element on the rich finish. A lovely example of the not-shy style. Best from 2021 through 2032.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.