2018 Beckstoffer Cabernet Sauvignon George III Empyrean
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III Empyrean takes all the signatures of this well-known Rutherford site and dials up the intensity to eleven, or more. Inky black fruit, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, dark spice and leather build as this powerhouse Cabernet shows all it's got. It is another superb effort from Mike and Leah Smith. (AG)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Empyrean is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Displaying a deep purple-black color, it comes wafting out of the glass with a bedazzling nose of warm cassis, blueberry pie and Black Forest cake with suggestions of chocolate mint, underbrush, rose oil and lavender plus a hint of cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers great tension and bags of energetic black fruits, supported by grainy tannins, finishing long and fragrant.
The tiny selection 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Empyrean is a cellar selection from this large site and tastes like the classic cuvée, just denser and richer. A stunning nose of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, candied violets, orange blossom, and flowery incense gives way to a full-bodied, powerful wine with building tannins, a wonderful sense of freshness and purity, no hard edges, and a great finish.
Plush, deep and enveloping, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III Empyream offers a captivating mix of lifted aromatics, textural breadth and sumptuous fruit. Dramatic and resonant, the Empyream is shaping up to be a real gem.
About the producer
Mike Smith is one of Napa’s leading winemakers, crafting top-scoring wines for the likes of Quivet, PerChance, Kindred and Flora Springs. Myriad Cellars is his personal label, run with his wife Leah.