Professional Ratings

• 100 Decanter
  2021 Schrader LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: The 2021 vintage release of LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is the last year Schrader Cellars will source grapes from this iconic, rocky Napa Valley site. A robust red, the 15.4% alcohol level is hardly evident because of the wine's impeccable balance on the palate. It boasts a beautiful mineral intensity that lifts out of the glass, tinged with smoky wild herbs and black currant fruits. The medium to full-bodied palate has natural elegance in its super-fine-grained cocoa-nib tannins. It is counterbalanced by an attractive layer of ironstone minerality and entirely supported by a generous backbone of racy acidity. The finish is extravagantly long, fueled by refreshing acid tension and a mineral edge. Succulent and well-built, it is a Cabernet for the ages. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown has crafted a masterpiece, and it's a beautiful wine for this label's swan song from such an underrated site.
• 100 Jeb Dunnuck
  2021 Schrader CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon: I thought the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS was pure perfection, and it's my favorite in the lineup from Schrader. Coming all from a single parcel (it's all Clone 4) in this hallowed site, its inky purple hue is followed by sensationally pure aromatics of creme de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, and lead pencil shavings. I think I've rated this Cuv e perfect more than any of the other Cuv es (Old Sparky may come close) and it always seems to have another level of vibrancy and purity paired with an incredible level of fruit. Full-bodied, round, lush, and seamless, it has ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a mouthfeel that's to die for.
• 100 Jeb Dunnuck
  2021 Schrader LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: This vineyard continues to rise in stature, and the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV might be another perfect wine in this stacked lineup. Red and black fruits, iron, dried herbs, and spice notes are just some of its nuances, and it's full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, with a remarkable sense of purity and elegance paired with gorgeous fruit.
  Range: 97-100
• 99 Jeb Dunnuck
  2021 Schrader Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon: Just about pure perfection, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader has classic Schrader style in its sexy red and blue fruits as well as chocolate, violets, and chalky minerality. All Cabernet Sauvignon brought up mostly in new barrels, this inky-hued, full-bodied, massively concentrated beauty has ultra-fine tannins and no hard edges, with incredible length on the finish. The vintage doesn't get more sexy or opulent than this and it's going to drink brilliantly for 20-25 years if well stored.
• 99 Wine Spectator
  2021 Schrader Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon: 2021 marks the 20th vintage of Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon for Schrader Cellars. It's a monumental red, with a skyscraper's structure and the rocket's length heading straight for outer space. Youthfully exuberant, the nose leads with a heady mix of red and black-toned fruits and mocha spices. The wine has excellent energy and tension in the mouth, with towering, full-throttle tannins and lasting intensity. The finish is profoundly mineral-driven and framed by a spine of soaring acidity. Although incredibly attractive now, I feel the Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet has robust staying power, with the 'bones' to the cellar for the long term.
• 98 Jeb Dunnuck
  2021 Schrader Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard GIII Cabernet Sauvignon: Reminding me of a great vintage of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard boasts a dense purple hue as well as a gorgeous array of ripe black fruits, olive, smoke tobacco, chocolate, and lead pencil shavings. As with all these latest Schrader releases, it's concentrated and impeccably balanced on the palate, with a layered opulence as well as velvety tannins. The purity of fruit here is off the charts. I wouldn't turn down a glass now, but this will benefit from 4-5 years in the cellar and cruise over the following two decades or more. It's an incredibly complete, balanced, seamless wine from winemaker Thomas Brown.
• 98 James Suckling
  2021 Schrader CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon: A classic, deep and structured wine that’s effusive in ripeness yet balanced and fresh. Enticing aromas of spearmint, bay leaves and green olives meet dense, lush blueberry and black cherry flavors. Made from Clone 4 cabernet grapes, the wine is delicious, complex, layered and spicy.
• 98 Wine Spectator
  2021 Schrader RBS To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: So packed and dense with blackberry, black currant and boysenberry compote flavors that this seems like a black hole, but there's coiled energy buried deeply within, in the form of tensile graphite girders. In the meantime, exotic accents of violet, anise and iris dart out from the core as this opens in the glass, adding remarkable range. This impressive, large-scale wine offers a sense of guile and mystery when all is said and done.
• 97 Decanter
  2021 Schrader Wappo Hill Cabernet Sauvignon: A Stags Leap District showcase, the Wappo Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 from Schrader Cellars highlights the AVA's natural expression of acidity and perfumed aromatics. Robes of dark black ruby fruit emerge from a lifted nose of dusty minerals, fragrant brown spices, and dried red floral notes. The palate has a seductive, lush feel marked by blackberry, Bing cherry and black currant fruit flavours enriched by ironstone minerality. The tannins are super-fine, and the extended finish brings about a refreshing quality from racy and grippy acidity. Long and powerful, but also a Cabernet with great elegance.
• 97 Jeb Dunnuck
  2021 Schrader RBS To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: Coming all from Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard RBS is an incredibly seamless, full-bodied beauty that has a terrific sense of minerality in its red, blue, and black fruits as well as hints of espresso and spicy oak. It's flawlessly balanced, has no hard edges, and a rare mix of power and elegance.
• 97 Jeb Dunnuck
  2021 Schrader Wappo Hill Cabernet Sauvignon: A release that was first produced in 2019, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Wappo Hill Vineyard comes from a site in the Stags Leap District and is all Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in mostly new French oak. Red and black currants, iron, white flowers, candle wax, and spicy notes all emerge from this full-bodied, concentrated yet vibrant, fresh, focused 2021 that has plenty of ripe tannins, a great mid-palate, and one incredible finish. It's going to age beautifully. Rating 97+
• 97 James Suckling
  2021 Schrader RBS To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: Rich, deep and saturated, practically oozing black fruit and notes of red cherries that bring a good touch of acidity. A lavish texture and mouth-coating tannins bring an almost thick but soothing mouth-feel. Dark cherries, blackcurrants, blueberries and dark chocolate.
• 97 James Suckling
  2021 Schrader Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon: An unapologetic, big, full-bodied California cabernet with brawny tannins, rich and deep fruit and chocolate flavors on a broad texture. Blueberries, dark cherries and savory hints of bay leaves and walnut skin are wrapped in firm, layered tannins that are typical of Oakville. This is the “regular” Schrader, yet it can age well for many years. Best after 2030.
• 97 Wine Spectator
  2021 Schrader CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a stunner, with a wave of head-turning flavors of plum reduction, black currant preserves and açaí berry paste that expands as it moves along, offering just enough of an apple wood frame to give this red form.On the back end, there's a myriad of apple wood, licorice snap, violet, iris and menthol accents that flourish amid the fruit, adding remarkable range and detail.
• 97 Wine Spectator
  2021 Schrader Wappo Hill Cabernet Sauvignon: This captures the essence of the vintage wonderfully, with vivid notes of violet, anise and iris leading the way for ripe, succulent blackberry, boysenberry and mulberry paste flavors. Offers a flattering melted licorice snap accent along the edges, while the finish.
• 97 Wine Spectator
  2021 Schrader LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: Dense, creamy and thoroughly fruit-driven, this lets a range of plum sauce, fresh mulberry and boysenberry, and blackberry reduction notes cruise through alongside melted licorice and ganache accents. The fruit display is almost enough to make you miss its long graphite spine and subtle hints of warm paving stone and alder through the finish. All that, and this drapes beautifully. Drink now through 2045.
• 96 James Suckling
  2021 Schrader Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard GIII Cabernet Sauvignon: Classy nose, with lots of sandalwood and cedar on top of a racy profile of black and blue fruit. Some baked-fruit notes, too. This is really precise and fresh on the palate, with tannins that really melt into the fruit. As light as feather. Just bordering medium to full body. There is excellent fluidity on the palate. Drinkable now, but will hold.
• 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  2021 Schrader Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard GIII Cabernet Sauvignon: Sourcing for the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard GIII continues to be from clone 337 in the vineyard's F block, with maturation in 100% new French oak. Ripe cherries are joined by herbal shadings and a mélange of dried spices on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is plush and creamy, with a tremendously long finish. Really seductive stuff, this is already approachable yet seems to have the balance and concentration to drink well for up to 20 years.