Wine reviews
A big wine, with tiers of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry preserves giving this verticality, while dense graphite and roasted apple wood notes provide the spine. A pretty violet note provides contrast, and there’s a long tug of warm earth through the finish too, giving this a very solid grounding. Patience required, as this is locked up right now. Best from 2023 through 2038.. – JM
Schrader’s GIII comes from Beckstoffer’s Georges III vineyard in Rutherford, produced from 337 clone grown on the F block. One hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it was aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon GIII Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard springs from the glass with a glorious perfume of violets and lavender, giving way to notes of crushed black currants, black raspberries and red currant jelly, plus an undercurrent of cedar chest and fragrant soil. Full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is popping with taut, muscular, vibrant black fruits, supported by wonderfully ripe tannins, finishing long and full of energy. 151 cases were made. – LPB
Coming from a larger, famous site in Rutherford, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer GII Vineyard is another superstar in the lineup. Possessing a dense purple color, it delivers a monster bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, chocolate, tobacco, sweet mulch, and a Graves-like sense of gravelly earth and minerality. While I suspect the acidity is quite low, it stays lively on the palate, possessing full-bodied richness, soft tannins, remarkable purity, and a great finish. This super-rich, opulent, incredibly sexy Cabernet Sauvignon should evolve for 20 years or more. – JD
Moving to the 2018 barrel sample, this was described as a cool, although not cold, year by Brown that had terrific hang time. In general, the wines offer evidence of the longer hang time with their ripe, seamless tannin profiles. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard comes from a historic, larger valley floor site and displays terrific blue fruit, sappy herbs, and a gravelly, earthy sense of minerality. It’s full-bodied, dense, and backward on the palate, with loads of structure. – JD
Schrader’s GIII comes from Beckstoffer’s Georges III vineyard in Rutherford, produced from 337 clone grown on the F block. One hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it is aging in 100% new oak. A very deep purple-black colored barrel sample, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon GIII Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard prances out of the glass with bright, youthful blackberries, black cherries and freshly crushed blackcurrants scents, morphing into a beautiful perfume of lilacs, freshly spaded earth, wild sage and crushed rocks plus a touch of cinnamon stick. Medium bodied, firm, refreshing and elegantly styled, the palate does not scrimp on intensity nor layers, framed by ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and minerally. 170 cases are due to be made. – LPB