Vineyard

The grapes for this wine are sourced from the historic BV#3, now called Beckstoffer Georges III, and sits next to 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. Our Clone 4 Cabernet blocks are just south of the Caymus property, having been planted from cuttings from the earlier clonal trials conducted in the former BV Ranch #4, now called ToKalon Vineyard. This clone of Cabernet originated in Mendoza, Argentina, and is now widely planted in the Napa Valley. When grown in a prime region like Rutherford, Clone 4 displays classic characteristics of Cabernet, nuanced by the Rutherford Dust, rum raisin and cassis the appellation is known for. Perhaps our most elegant, silky and true-to-type clone bottling.

Vinification

The grapes are hand-harvested and gently crushed to retain ~ 60% whole berries. The free-run and press wines were kept separate; the resulting bottled wine is entirely made from free-run wine. Following fermentation, the wine went through malolactic fermentation in barrel. Aged in 83% new French oak barrels for 20 months, this wine was racked only twice to preserve the amazing fruit, while naturally clarifying the wine and softening the tannins. With no fining or additional treatment, the wine was bottled and laid down for an additional 9 months prior to release.

Vintage Notes

Vintage 2021 brought a mercifully gentle growing season to the Napa Valley, following the challenging 2020 harvest: no major heat spikes, a relatively long, mild late summer, and most importantly, no local fires and smoke. The story of the year was the continued drought, which kicked off the growing season at a disadvantage. It was a year of haves and have-nots, in which the growers with adequate well water were able to establish and ripen a decent crop, while others had no water, and struggled to keep vines healthy throughout the high demand of wine grape ripening. Some of the latter group either had to drop some fruit, or in the worst cases, relinquish the entire crop for the season. For some, the good news was that the stress of the prior year led to a small crop, allowing even those with limiting circumstances to still produce a high-quality, ripened crop, aided by the mild weather. For most, the bad news was also the small crop, following the 2020 vintage in which the fires and smoke prompted many winemakers to bring in less fruit or skip the vintage entirely. The silver lining around the 2021 harvest was that most growers were able to produce a healthy crop, and the wines from the vintage display a beautiful purity and freshness, coupled with ripe flavors at naturally lower alcohol levels.

Tasting Notes

Almost purple in color, this wine leads with a vibrant perfume of violet, dark fruits, cassis, graham cracker and a hint of the varietal herbal component that Clone 4 is known for. The palate displays the suppleness of the vintage. While the tannins are substantial, they are creamy and fine-grained. Flavors abound, with mostly dark fruits, dark chocolate, sage, and a remarkable complex subtlety. The finish is long and weighty, just waiting for your next bite of prime cut beef! Drink 2025 +, decanting recommended

Technical Analysis

Varietal Cabernet sauvignon, Clone 4

Source Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard, Rutherford

Harvest Date September 22 - 28, 2021

Harvest Sugar 27.6° Brix

Total Acid 0.58 gm/100ml

pH 3.72

Alcohol 14.9%

Aging 20 months, 100% French Oak, 83% new

Bottle Date July 6, 2023

Production 145 cases