Wine reviews
I’ll keep my notes short, since I’ll be tasting this wine from bottle next year, but the 2014s from Schrader are among the highlights of this vintage, which is certainly an excellent one in Napa, but destined to be lost in the massive shadows cast by 2012 and 2013. The Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Colesworthy should ultimately score in the mid90s, with the potential that it may reach the upper 90s. In any event, the wine came in at about 14.4% to 14.5% natural alcohol. It looks to be a super-duper vintage for Schrader; I do think if the 2014s turn out to be a better vintage certainly than 2011, they will still be behind both 2012 and 2013.
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon LPV is from clone 337 from the Las Piedras Vineyard in St. Helena. This shows Mission Haut-Brion-like characteristics as it has in the past, with crushed rock, wet gravel, scorched earth, blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is clearly one of my favorites of this entire tasting. It has 14.5% natural alcohol and was aged in 90% new Darnajou and 10% new Taransaud barrels. This is a killer effort. - RP
Slow to unfold, but impressive, gradually building intensity and depth around a core of gravel-laced dark berry, herb, licorice and spicy oak notes. Best from 2021 through 2036