Wine reviews
The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard T6 is a small step down from the George III and RBS, although it is still an outstanding wine. Rich, smoky and pretty, but slightly less impressive without the enormous stuffing, multiple dimensions and richness of its siblings. Nevertheless, this beauty offers lots of spring flower, licorice, black currant, forest floor, cedarwood and unsmoked cigar tobacco-like characteristics. From clone 6, it was aged 20 months in 90% new Darnajou barrels and 10% new Taransaud barrels. There are only 162 cases compared to 420 cases in 2012. Year-in and year-out this is one of the most interesting as well as fascinating group of wines and projects in Napa Valley. First, Schrader has two committed owners, secondly a brilliant winemaker in Thomas Brown, and thirdly, one of the true first-growth vineyard sites in all of Napa Valley, the famed Beckstoffer-owned To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. There is also a new Beckstoffer vineyard in Oakville called Las Piedras. Additionally, they source grapes from the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, several miles north of Oakville. In top vintages, Schrader’s Beckstoffer Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines can be as good as money can buy ... anywhere in the world. The Schraders are essentially giving consumers a microscopic, intense study of the differences between clones from one particular vineyard. Production levels range from 100-200 cases to as high as 400 cases. The total production is well under 1,800 cases of wine, even in such generous vintages as 2012. These offerings, which are aged 18-20 months in a majority of Darnajou French barrels with some Taransaud, are much more similar than dissimilar, but I think long-term aging will begin to reveal differences, and that’s the objective with these separate cuvees. All of these wines will keep for a minimum of 25-40 years. This is probably an overload of information for the casual drinker who just wants a great Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, but for the wine geeks, this kind of clonal study is fascinating. The cooler than normal 2010 vintage produced a group of wines with small production levels. The 2011s came from a small yielding vintage as well. Winemaker Thomas Brown and the Schraders had to deal with two large rainy scenarios that were followed by foggy conditions in early to mid-October that resulted in the formation of botrytis in the grape bunches. They seem to have come through this with flying colors in several of their cuvees, which are candidates for the wines of the vintage. The 2012s enjoyed an incredibly long hang time, and although the year was warm, there was only one serious heat spike that came at a time (in July where the temperature hit 105 degrees) that was not threatening to the vineyards. Thomas Brown thought the number of days between flowering and the veraison (when the color of the grapes changes from green to dark purple) was around 65-70 days, an unusually long time that bodes well for flavor and tannin development in the grape bunches. The 2012s are all huge, richly fruity wines that were primary when I tasted them. For that reason, I will keep my notes short, but there appears to be at least three candidates for perfect scores after another 8-9 months in new oak. -RP
Tightly wound, intense and potent, with explosive dark berry, spice, cedar and mocha flavors. Among the most closed and backward of the 2010 Schraders, this nonetheless delivers Napa Cabernet's proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. Best from 2015 through 2030. 162 cases made. –JL
Violets, mint, blueberries, cassis and tar all come to life in the glass as the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard shows off its considerable pedigree. The T6 is the first Cabernet in this tasting where the structure of the vintage is indelibly stamped into the wine. Today, the 2010 is incredibly backward. A long, cool growing season stretching 130 days from bud break to harvest yielded loose clusters with small, thick-skinned grapes. As the name implies, the T6 is clone 6 Cabernet from block D2. This is another totally striking wine from Schrader. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2030. This is a fabulous set of wines from Fred Schrader, his wife Carol and their long-time winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. The 2010 Cabernets are big, huge wines that capture the essence of this great Napa Valley vintage. As always, the wines are made with no SO2 at the crusher, natural yeasts and minimal rackings. The four single-clone bottlings from the To-Kalon vineyard are essentially essays that provide notable insight into the clonal differences within the various parcels in this famous site. I also tasted all of the 2011s, but those wines are still embryonic stages rather than final blends, so it is hard to provide meaningful commentary at this stage. Thus far, I have tasted the 2011s twice, and both times I have been struck by the new Las Piedras bottling, which personally I am very much looking forward to following. Sadly, there will be no GIII in 2011, as conditions were just too difficult. - AG