2016 Myriad Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Elysian

There’s a sense of essence-like concentration and ripeness in this cabernet sauvignon with a thread of spicy, toasty oak that pervades the round, fleshy and fully ripe palate. Long and suave. Hints of graphite to close. Drink or hold.

Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep purple-black colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Elysian gives up intense earthy notes of crushed rocks, iron ore, black truffles and fertile loam to begin, giving way to a stunning array of black fruits and floral scents—crushed black cherries, warm black berries, cassis, red roses and candied violets—with wafts of cigar box and pencil lead in the background. Full-bodied, rich and fantastically flamboyant in the mouth, the decadent fruit slowly grows on the palate to reveal layer upon layer of mineral, earthy and seductively spiced black fruits, finishing very long and wonderfully perfumed. This is Dr. Crane at its finest.

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Elysian is the special selection cuvée from this remarkable site in St. Helena. Brought up in new Darnajou and Taransaud barrels, it offers a slightly sweeter style in its crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits, vanilla bean, sweet spice, sandalwood, and dried flower aromas and flavors. It's a rich, powerful, seamless 2016 that has a supple texture, polished tannins, no hard edges, and the balance to evolve gracefully for two decades or more. As with the two cuvées from the Georges III Vineyard, the special selection is more open and complex, with a slightly sweeter profile. While I'm not convinced the special cuvées in 2016 are better wines, they're certainly different, and if presented with a choice between the two, the correct answer is "yes." There were 225 cases produced.