2018 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is laced with crushed red berry fruit, spice and silky floral overtones, all signatures of this well-known St. Helena site. Gracious and medium in body, the 2018 Dr. Crane will drink well right out of the gate. (AG)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of ripe blackberries, Morello cherries, blackcurrant pastilles and chocolate box with hints of camphor, lilacs and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is intense with bags of tension and energetic black and red fruits, supported by ripe grainy tannins, finishing long and mineral laced.
This iconic site located outside of St. Helena always produces a rich, powerful wine, and the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is no exception, offering loads of black and blue fruits, gravelly earth, chocolate, and Asian spice notes as well as a full-bodied, opulent, sexy profile on the palate. With a beautiful sense of freshness, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish, this gorgeous effort needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will cruise for 30 years or more.
Usually a much more open wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is unusually tight in 2018. That won't be an issue in a few years' time, but the 2018 is decidedly reticent today. There is plenty of depth to go along with all that structure, though. Patience is key.
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.