2015 Realm Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena AVA, Napa Valley California 750ml

One of the most profound young wines I've ever tasted in the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane. Of all the high scoring wines in this report, if I had to pick one to put at the top of the heap, this would be it. My notes are filled with expletives, but this majestic, opulent, heavenly red boasts a deep purple color and La Mission Haut Brion-like notes of tobacco leaf, blackcurrants, earthy/rocky minerality, cigar box, blueberries, and Asian spices. Huge, opulent, and voluptuous, with a mid-palate that needs to be tasted to be believed, it has no hard edges, incredibly density, ripe tannin, and a great, great finish. Don't miss it and hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette. | 100 points, Jeb Dunnuck for jebdunnuck.com

'When drinking water, remember the source:' an old Chinese proverb that could apply to wine as easily as water. Located in what used to be St. Helena's "Chinatown" in the 1920's, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard now sits in a residential neighborhood on the west side of town, an unassuming site bordered by an old riverbed and a rock quarry. The vineyard was originally planted in 1858 by San Franciscan Dr. George Belden Crane; today it is owned by Andy Beckstoffer, who replanted it to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc in 1998. With interesting parallels to Chateau Haut-Brion, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane is undoubtedly one of the finest vineyards in St. Helena, and its wines are unmistakable. "You know it when you smell it," says Winemaker Benoit Touquette. "Dr. Crane has everything you look for --minerality, complexity, excellent fruit definition, good tannin structure; a complete wine with many layers." Realm's Dr. Crane is predominantly (95%) Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6 blended with a small amount of Petit Verdot.
Blue fruit notes; graphite, mineral character; electric intensity and freshness. | Realm Cellars