Dr. George Belden Crane, one of the mavericks behind Napa Valley’s wine industry, planted this vineyard in Saint Helena in 1858. Generations later, in 1997, Beckstoffer Vineyards took ownership. In 1998, the site’s gravelly loam soils were replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. One of the warmer sections of the valley, further inland from the cooling influence of San Pablo Bay, vineyards here are moderated by afternoon breezes that flow through a gap in the Mayacamas Mountains to the north.

This wine is sourced from the prime sections of two specific blocks of the Dr. Crane vineyard. It is sophisticated Cabernet, known for muscular structure and intensity. Fruit was hand-picked at night when a chill hangs in the air, and hand-sorted while the berries were still cool from the field. Following a six-day cold soak, the wine was fermented by native yeast in small stainless steel tanks. It went through spontaneous malolactic fermentation after being racked to barrels. Following 20 months maturation in new French oak, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Deep black garnet in colour, this is a dense, aromatic Cabernet with cassis, cocoa, loam, and anise on the nose. The palate introduces layers of red currant, blackberry, graphite, and spice box. Ripe, ultra-fine tannins frame the core of dense fruit.

“100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the famous gravelly loam soils of Beckstoffer Dr Crane in the St. Helena AVA. This is a site that consistently delivers a gorgeous Cabernet, almost no matter the producer. Still, in the capable hands of Paul Hobbs, even in a challenging year like 2020, when many producers opted not to bottle their fruit, this wine radiates balance, pleasure, depth, and curiosity. A burst of classic, dusty, iron-like Dr Crane minerality is accompanied by sagebrush after a cool winter rain, spearmint, and cedar spices. Pure, silken, energetic and layered with red, black, and blue-toned fruits, dark chocolate, and gravelly, fine-grained tannins with a firm backbone of racy acidity. Long, lean, and built for the long haul.”
98 points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter, April 2023

“One of the finest wines I was able to taste in the vintage is the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, a deep, inky-hued 2020 with lots of black and blue fruits as well as Graves-like scorched earth, tobacco, and smoked herbs. Full-bodied, concentrated, and opulent, it has ripe tannins, a round, mouth-filling texture, and outstanding length. It’s going to evolve for 15 years.”
95 points, Jeb Dunnuck, February 2023