2021 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard
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One of the truly great wines in the vintage is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, which comes from a Grand Cru vineyard on the west side of St. Helena and is all Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon. Reminding me of a great vintage of La Mission Haut-Brion (perhaps on steroids) with its incredible bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth, cold fireplace, chocolate, and smoked tobacco, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness and a layered, seamless, majestic style marrying incredible depth, richness, and opulence with a seamlessness and elegance that are hard to describe. Perfectly ripe and balanced, with plenty of structure, give bottles 4-6 years if you can, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.
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Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard is classic Dr. Crane. It has everything I look for in Crane. Silky, aromatic and medium in body, with gorgeous mid-weight balance, the 2021 dazzles from start to finish. Sweet floral and spice notes meld into a core of red/purplish fruit. It is one of the most refined, elegant wines I have ever tasted from Tor Kenward and longtime winemaker Jeff Ames. Don't miss it. The 2021 turned out great.
Now that the four barrels of the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard have been bottled, I'm pleased to say that it has exceeded my lofty expectations for it. From a rocky portion of the vineyard planted to Clone 6, it boasts stunning, complex aromas of crushed stone, dried herbs, black cherries and licorice, while also being full-bodied, supple and concentrated. This wine shows lovely balance—great opulence without excessive weight—finishing long and vibrant. Great stuff.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard is bold, plump and juicy, all of which make it one of the most supple, forward wines in the range. Inky dark fruit and plush contours give the Crane so much immediacy. The 2021 is a wine of pure and total allure. It doesn't have the structure or complexity of the best wines in the range, but it makes up for that with its appeal. Shy-bearing Clone 6 Cabernet is so exotic here.