2021 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Coming from a warmer site on the west side of St. Helena, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is deeper plum/purple hue and boasts a ripe, powerful nose of black fruits, spring flowers, lead pencil, and scorched earth. Deep, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has a multi-dimensional, layered mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, the vintage's freshness and purity, and a blockbuster of a finish. ~98 Jeb Dunnuck

Ripe red fruit with crushed rock and cement aromas and undertones. Pine needles. Tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied with an agile and elegant character that gives this an energy and lightness. So much going on here. Complex and complete. So open and beautiful. ~98 James Suckling

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard in St. Helena, one of Napa's most profound vineyards, was hand-sorted while still cold from night harvesting and fermented with native yeasts. A total of 31 days of maceration with pump-overs and délestage was followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrel. Aged 18 months in 86% new French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Cabernet clones 337 and 4 are planted on 110R rootstock in bale loam soils and date back to 1998. In 2021, Paul Hobbs delivered a knock-out Dr Crane Cabernet. The mineral aromatics are so intense, married with plenty of youthful blue and black fruits and flashy cedarwood notes. But the palate is where you get caught up, entranced by its medium-bodied, complex and layered expression of Cabernet, with a host of classic black cherry, blackberry, currant fruits, and tobacco nuances. Densley-packed pixelated tannins are superfine, and a remarkable thread of saline minerality carries the finish like there's no tomorrow ~97 Decanter

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard offers up delicate sage and thyme notes, hints of dusty earth and plenty of delicious black cherry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied in the mouth, rich but supple, harmonious and easy to drink, turning softly dusty on the long finish. ~96 Wine Advocate

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is an opulent, sensual wine. Plush, silky contours wrap around a core of inky dark fruit. Lavender, spice, licorice and mocha add character. This is an especially dark, somber expression of Dr. Crane with tons of fruit intensity and sheer volume. Pretty floral notes linger on the close. ~95 Vinous Media

Features a fresh, vibrant core of blackberry, black cherry and raspberry preserve notes harnessed by hints of taut cast iron, warm earth and dried anise. Soundly structured through the lengthy finish, this offers the fruit for balance. ~95 Wine Spectator