Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is a barrel sample with a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a fair bit of swirling to release bold scents of baked blackcurrants, boysenberries and black cherry compote plus suggestions of garrigue, crushed rocks, tobacco leaf and lavender. Full-bodied, the palate has impressive energy with wonderfully vibrant black fruits and firm, exquisitely ripe tannins with bold freshness, finishing long with loads of floral and mineral sparks. Rating 96-100.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard just about jumps out of the glass with its huge nose of ripe currants, cassis, gravelly earth, rocky minerality, chocolate, and spring flowers. Deep, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it shows more elegance and finesse than you’d expect given the nose, and the balance is spot on, it has pure, ripe tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. This beautiful, complete Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will benefit from short-term bottle age and evolve for 20-25 years. Best after 2022. Rating: 98+
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.