Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard has a Mission Haut-Brion-on-steroids character, as it seems to be all gravel pit. Loads of wet pebbles, graphite, blueberry and blackberry fruit, a full-bodied opulence, and just a killer, skyscraper-like mouthfeel and stunning finish make for one of the most provocative and fabulous wines in this portfolio. Drink it over the next 25+ years. This is world-class and can stand up against anything made in 2013, as could the following wines as well.
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Wine Spectator
Beautifully crafted, this sleek version is focused on snappy red and dark berry flavors, with dusty earth accents and seductive cedar- and mocha-accented oak. Glides along gracefully on the finish. Drink now through 2030.
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.