2015 Schrader Cellars, LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Bottle (750ml)

RP98+ "Coming from the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard, from blocks C and E that are planted to clones 337 and 4, respectively, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Lpv has a very deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed black berries, black currant cordial and garrigue with wafts of sage, mocha and cedar chest plus a hint of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, very firm and very tightly knit, the palate reveals great elegance and sophistication, with slowly revealing layers and a lovely minerality coming through on the long finish. 2,017 cases produced." LPB Dec 2017

Robert Parker writes, "As I have written in the past, the Schrader project with Thomas Rivers Brown as their winemaker started as a look at one of Napa Valley’s historic and first-growth vineyard sites – the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. It has expanded now to include Beckstoffer’s Las Piedras Vineyard in St. Helena and the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford. It is basically a study of clonal selections by keeping these wines separate and apart, but enjoying the identical winemaking, upbringing in the cellars and bottling. The bottom line is that these are just hands-down fabulous Cabernet Sauvignons and have been since the project debuted more than ten years ago. The difference between each of them is generally minor and I will probably end up giving sightly different reviews when the wines are in bottle – because they are all at the top of the pyramid of quality. Any one of them is essentially a world-class Cabernet Sauvignon that could compete with the finest made anywhere in the world." Published: Oct 28, 2016