2010 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A wine that seems to hit all of the sweet spots on my palate is the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS made from clone 4. It possesses about the same amount of alcohol as the other wines (14.5%), and is aged 20 months in 100% new oak, but it reveals an opulence, voluptuousness and a seamless haute couture fashion. There is something Pomerol-like in the 2010 CCS that I have not noticed in previous vintages. That may be due to the upfront, appealing, stunningly rich, voluptuous style. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon of great nobility and character that, despite its precociousness, should age for 25+ years. Sadly, the production of 156 cases pales in comparison to the 520 cases made in 2012. Year-in and year-out this is one of the most interesting as well as fascinating group of wines and projects in Napa Valley. First, Schrader has two committed owners, secondly a brilliant winemaker in Thomas Brown, and thirdly, one of the true first-growth vineyard sites in all of Napa Valley, the famed Beckstoffer-owned To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. There is also a new Beckstoffer vineyard in Oakville called Las Piedras. Additionally, they source grapes from the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, several miles north of Oakville. In top vintages, Schrader’s Beckstoffer Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines can be as good as money can buy ... anywhere in the world. The Schraders are essentially giving consumers a microscopic, intense study of the differences between clones from one particular vineyard. Production levels range from 100-200 cases to as high as 400 cases. The total production is well under 1,800 cases of wine, even in such generous vintages as 2012. These offerings, which are aged 18-20 months in a majority of Darnajou French barrels with some Taransaud, are much more similar than dissimilar, but I think long-term aging will begin to reveal differences, and that’s the objective with these separate cuvees. All of these wines will keep for a minimum of 25-40 years. This is probably an overload of information for the casual drinker who just wants a great Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, but for the wine geeks, this kind of clonal study is fascinating. The cooler than normal 2010 vintage produced a group of wines with small production levels. The 2011s came from a small yielding vintage as well. Winemaker Thomas Brown and the Schraders had to deal with two large rainy scenarios that were followed by foggy conditions in early to mid-October that resulted in the formation of botrytis in the grape bunches. They seem to have come through this with flying colors in several of their cuvees, which are candidates for the wines of the vintage. The 2012s enjoyed an incredibly long hang time, and although the year was warm, there was only one serious heat spike that came at a time (in July where the temperature hit 105 degrees) that was not threatening to the vineyards. Thomas Brown thought the number of days between flowering and the veraison (when the color of the grapes changes from green to dark purple) was around 65-70 days, an unusually long time that bodes well for flavor and tannin development in the grape bunches. The 2012s are all huge, richly fruity wines that were primary when I tasted them. For that reason, I will keep my notes short, but there appears to be at least three candidates for perfect scores after another 8-9 months in new oak.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is totally different from the other wines in the lineup. Here it is the wine's sensuality and pure silkiness that stands out most. Sweet, red berries, flowers, cinnamon and a hint of tobacco meld together in a beautifully balanced, totally harmonious wine. Everything is in the right place. The vibrancy of the vintage is present, but in a more understated, reserved expression than is found in the other Schrader 2010s. The 2010 closed down quickly in the glass, so my sense is it is headed for a period of dormancy. When the 2010 awakens, it will be mind-blowing. The CCS is clone 4 Cabernet from block C1.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Schrader Clone 4 Block C2 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is flat out great. Here the cold year and late harvest works to balance some of the wine’s more overt tendencies. This is a big, layered Cabernet Sauvignon loaded with dark fruit underpinned by the clean, vibrant minerality that is the hallmark of the year. This is a tremendous showing. This sample is the clonal base for the Schrader bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. I tasted the Schrader 2009s and 2010s twice this year, about five months apart, and that time has done wonders for the wines. The Schrader Cabernets are big, bold wines that nevertheless show remarkable detail and transparency to site, as is evidenced by the five separate bottlings from Andy Beckstoffer’s To Kalon vineyard in Oakville. These are essentially single-clone (and often single-block) wines that seek to highlight the unique qualities of the various Cabernet clones planted within the vineyard. I tasted the 2009s from bottle and the 2010s from barrel. Readers should note that the 2010s I tasted were base blends for each of the wines, rather than fully finished blends. I have a slight preference for the 2010s, as they are more nuanced, perfumed and finessed, while the 2009s are just a bit more similar to each other throughout the range, reflecting the nature of the years themselves. Beyond that, it really comes down to personal preference when choosing one of these wines. The RBS is the most aromatic and detailed, and in my view, complete of the wines. Readers who prefer a more overt, opulent, fruit-driven style of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will gravitate to the Old Sparky or the Schrader. Either way, it is hard to go wrong with any of these Cabernets. The wines are made in a fairly non-interventionalist style, with no SO2 added at crush, minimal rackings and no fining or filtration prior to bottling. Everything starts in the vineyard, where Brown and his team leave one cluster (minus wings) per shoot. The 2009s were aged in 100% new French oak barrels, 80-90% Darnajou the rest Taransaud. Tel. (707) 942-1212