Wine reviews
A blend of 76% Cabernet Franc and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Lithology Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard delivers plenty of black cherries, accented by licorice notes. There's lots of spice here, not as much leaf, compared to the To Kalon version. It's medium to full-bodied, supple and silky, with plenty of length on the elegant finish. 85 cases produced. – JC
Both red and black fruits, spring flowers, graphite, hints of chocolate, and spice all shine in the 2021 Cabernet Franc Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, layered, seamless expression of Cabernet Franc offering beautiful tannins, a layered, elegant mouthfeel, and a great finish. Based on 76% Cabernet Franc and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 22 months in 70% new French oak, it needs just 3-5 years of bottle age and will cruise over the following two decades. It's a gorgeous wine, and you don't see many Cabernet Franc releases coming from this iconic site. – JD
I think the 2021 Cabernet Franc Lithology Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard might actually surpass the Cabernet Sauvignon, and that's saying something. Cassis, black raspberries, violets, and flowers all emerge on the nose of this full-bodied, layered, incredibly textured Cabernet Franc that does everything right. –JD
It is an absolute stand-out wine that is just seamless, with a purity of dark fruit flavours and spices balanced by threads of distinct minerality, freshness, and tension. Pure blackberry and black cherry fruit notes are tinged with bright capsicum. The depth and intensity of this wine are just as bewildering as the freshness conveyed on the palate. The dusty tannin backbone, a classic quality of the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane vineyard in St. Helena, frames a panoply of savoury spices, crushed herbs, liquorice and black ironstone minerality, delivering a perfect Cabernet Franc in the heady, rich, opulent and mineral-driven style Lithology is known for, but with tremendous energy in the 2021s, which conveys a real elegance to match this wine’s intensity. – JC