Wine reviews
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane again reveals Graves-like, smoky barbecue notes intermixed with wet stones, blueberry and blackberry fruit, a full-bodied opulence, and a sexy, lusty mouthfeel, and to me, the most complexity of any of these wines. There’s something about this vineyard that just seems to hit all the sweet spots on my palate, so I adore just about everybody’s wine that comes from this source. According to Jean Hoefliger, “Dr. Crane has the sexiness and softness of Marilyn Monroe and the eloquence of Mahatma Gandhi.” (As you can imagine, Hoefliger is never short of whimsical statements.) Tel. (707) 204-0934; www.thedebatewine.com Bigger than life Jean Hoefliger is the winemaking guru behind these wines. He has partnered with Rob McKay, and they obviously have access to some incredibly great vineyards in Napa in order to produce such world-class wines. Three of the five wines I tasted came from 100% Beckstoffer-owned vineyards, and that generally means amazing