Winemaker Notes
Dr. Crane Vineyard designate Cabernet Franc starts with an irrisistable garnet color that can only be matched by the aromas of ripe black plum, baked cherry pie, and fresh boysenberry. Subtle hints of cocoa, graphite and garden herbs gently emerge on the palate. The fusion of an indulgent mouth-feel, spighty tannins and harmonious yet generous finish will appease any yearning for a great wine.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A barrel sample, the 2017 Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard has a very deep garnet-purple color and delivers expressive notes of warm cassis, baked plums and spice cake with fragrant earth, crushed rocks and black olives. The palate is full-bodied, firm and chewy with a lively backbone and taut, muscular structure, finishing earthy. Barrel Sample: (93-95)+
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.