Vineyard
The grapes for this wine are sourced from the historic BV#3, now called Beckstoffer Georges III and located adjacent to Caymus, off the Silverado Trail in the renowned Rutherford sub-appellation of the Napa Valley. It was originally planted by Georges de Latour of Beaulieu Vineyard in 1928 and replanted by Andy Beckstoffer, commencing in 1991.  Honoring Anthony’s work identifying the differences between various Cabernet sauvignon clones, we produce this Clone 337 grown on the Georges III Vineyard.  This plant is a recent addition to the Cabernet sauvignon family, selected in Bordeaux by the institute of research called INRA.  Widely and successfully planted in California, this clone is known for its small berries and moderate yield.  The wines it produces are typically dense and complex, with a highly aromatic, floral varietal character.

 

Vinification
The grapes are hand-harvested and gently crushed to retain 60% whole berries.  Color extraction uses a combination of delestage (draining juice and returning over the skins), with gentle cap irrigations. The grapes were drained and pressed at dryness. The free-run and press wines were kept separate.  Following fermentation the wine went through malo-lactic fermentation in barrel.  The wine was aged in 57% new French oak barrels for 20 months and racked twice to naturally clarify the wine and soften the tannins. With light filtration and no fining, the wine was bottled and laid down for 8 months prior to release.  

 

Vintage Notes
2018 was a seamless season of heavenly hang time and phenomenal phenolic development. February saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes. The relatively mild summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for winemakers to allow their fruit to accumulate flavor complexity with gradual increases in sugar levels. The volume provided was a 20%-30% increase over recent average crop quantities.

 

Tasting Notes 

Our clone 337 continues a long string of fantastic examples of the beauty of this Cabernet clone.  The dark garnet color in the glass draws you in for a nosing of rich cassis fruit,
dried strawberry, lemon peel and herbes de Provence.   The taste is redolent of rich cassis liqueur and raspberry compote, with a hint of pastry crust that evokes a berry pie fresh out of the oven.  A long finish, bright acidity, and fine grained tannins frame the flavors and denote a wine that will deliver pleasure for many years to come.