'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. 5,000 bottles produced. |Realm Cellars