Wine reviews
Tightly wound, firm and concentrated, deep and framed by cedary oak. It takes time for the ripe currant and black cherry fruit to emerge, but once it does, it grabs and holds you. Best from 2010 through 2017. 175 cases made. –JL
“This is a fascinating portfolio of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines, all but one from one of Napa Valley’s most renowned sites, the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. The twist here is that Fred Schrader and his winemaker, Thomas Brown, tend to present their different bottlings based on specific blocks or specific clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Beckstoffer Vineyard. The wines are mostly aged in 100% new Darnajou barrels. (Schrader is also the broker for these barrels, so he puts his money where his mouth is.) These are fullthrottle, spectacular Cabernets with great texture, richness, and intensity. I suspect they have 15-20 years of aging potential. The only cuvee that is not from the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard is the Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford’s Georges III Vineyard, also owned by the Beckstoffer family. The 2005s are stunning wines that have all put on weight and character since I tasted them last year.” The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS is a slightly higher strung effort with full body, but also more noticeable acidity and tannin. Although less expressive than the other cuvées, it still offers a big, whopping mouthful of wine. It has fabulous up-scale potential, but is currently playing it closer to the vest.
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS is utter perfection in Cabernet Sauvignon. Extraordinary power, fruit depth, and perfume (not dissimilar from its siblings’) as well as a seamlessness, monumental richness, and a staggering finish are the stuff of legends. Again, the dominant characteristics are crème de cassis, graphite, espresso, blackberries, chocolate, and subtle background new oak. As I wrote last year, this is a fascinating portfolio of 100% Cabernet Sauvignons all of them from Beckstofferowned vineyards, including the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, and one wine from the Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III in Rutherford. All the wines are aged in 100% new French oak, usually a combination of Darnajou and Taransaud barrels, with a higher percentage of Darnajou used for the T6, CCS, Old Sparky, and Schrader. The different bottlings are essentially based on specific blocks and/or specific clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. In short, I think the 2006s are arguably the finest wines of the vintage, and the 2007s appear to be as profound. Given the fact that these wines seem to put on weight once they are in bottle, the 2007s may eclipse the extraordinary 2006s produced by Carol and Fred Schrader, and their brilliant winemaker, Thomas Brown. Total production of these cuvees is just over 1,500 cases, with the average for each offering 200-250 cases. Readers should keep in mind that all of these wines are aged in 100% new French oak for 20 months, bottled with no clarification, and possess alcohols ranging from 14.5% to 14.9%. This was one of the most exciting tastings I have done in 2008! - RP
Aging with grace and dignity, well-centered on rich currant, blackberry, light earth, oak and herb notes, ending with gravel-laced tannins. Most impressive are the elegance and finesse, attributes missing in far too many of the 2006s. Don't expect this to gain; it is more likely to go in the opposite direction. Drink now. 175 cases made.—J.L