Winemaker Notes
Exhibiting a vivid deep purple hue and aromas of ripe blackberry, cracked black pepper, and graphite, the wine deftly captures the true character of this western St. Helena site named Las Piedras, or ‘the stones’. Red currant, mocha, and lavender fill the palate which seamlessly harmonize with distinct mineral expressions of wet crushed rock. Structured around a backbone of firm tannins, the acidity lends energy to the finish, accented by a supple texture that gives the wine an added level of refinement and class.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Full-bodied with cherry character and supple yet extracted tannins. Big and juicy wine. Plenty of blue fruit.
Rating: 94-95
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is a little closed to begin, offering subtle notes of crushed blackberries, kirsch, wild blueberries and mulberries with wafts of lavender, lilacs, tilled soil and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has bags of energy and freshness, filling the palate with crunchy red and black fruits and ripe, grainy tannins, finishing on a floral note.
Rating: 95+
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Wine Spectator
This pulls no punches, with a lush, dark, richly fruited display of warm fig, steeped blackberry and mulled black currant flavors, while notes of baker's chocolate, tobacco and warm cast iron fill in on the finish. Shows plenty of heft, but maintains definition and focus. An impressive effort for the vintage.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.