Wine reviews

October 2013

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard shows lots of sweet earth, red and black fruit and cedarwood characteristics, more minerality than the George III, and a precocious, fleshy, attractive style meant for near-term drinking (as most 2011s suggest). Alpha Omega, which has been in existence for nearly a decade, is located in a handsome building on Highway 29. The wines are made by Jean Hoefliger teamed with the famous globe-trotting Bordeaux oenologist, Michel Rolland. I have noticed incremental improvement in these cuvees, and the 2011s generally performed well. - RP