Winemaker Notes
Dr. Crane has everything you look for -- minerality, complexity, excellent fruit definition, good tannin structure; a complete wine with many layers.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, Realm’s perfect 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard exhibits a La Mission Haut-Brion-like bouquet of blueberries, scorched earth, burning embers and spring flowers, a dense, opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, and a staggeringly long, multidimensional, 60-second finish. It can be drunk with enormous pleasure now, but promises to evolve for at least a quarter of a century. For historical buffs, the Dr. Crane Vineyard is named after a real doctor, who first planted the vineyard in 1858. In the 1920s, this small area was once considered the home of migrant Chinese workers.
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James Suckling
Lots of blackberry, Asian mushroom and stone character. Some iodine too. Full body, firm tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Very tight and stylish. Layered yet reserved and polished. Stunning. 95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% petit verdot.
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.