2005 Cabernet Sauvignon T6

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon T6 is 100% Clone 6, came in at 14.7% alcohol, and was aged in 100% new Darnajou barrels. It reveals a different character, with notes of charcoal and espresso roast, white chocolate, new saddle leather and a meaty, dense, full-bodied mouthfeel. This is spectacular and terrific stuff. After the RBS, this is probably the most evolved of these five cuvées, although I kept going back to the CCS, which has a hauntingly perfect bouquet.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon T6 is 100% Clone 6, came in at 14.7% alcohol, and was aged in 100% new Darnajou barrels. It reveals a different character, with notes of charcoal and espresso roast, white chocolate, new saddle leather and a meaty, dense, full-bodied mouthfeel. This is spectacular and terrific stuff. After the RBS, this is probably the most evolved of these five cuvées, although I kept going back to the CCS, which has a hauntingly perfect bouquet. ||As long-time readers realize, the Schrader project is a clonal micro-terroir look at different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from the famous Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. For example, the Schrader generic Cabernet is Clones 4 and 6; the CCS is Clone 4 with small amounts of Clone 6 and 337; the RBS is Clone 337; the T6 is Clone 6; and the Old Sparky is predominantly Clone 6. They are all from different rows, and while there is a family style to all of them, there are subtle differences. Certainly, they all spend approximately 20 months in anywhere from 80% to 100% Darnajou and Taransaud barrels. The consulting winemaker from the beginning of this project has been Thomas Rivers Brown. The year 2005 marked the first vintage made at one of his other client’s wineries, Outpost. The Schraders have a long-term lease for these plots, so they are not going to go away anytime soon, which is great news for consumers. Of course, anyone who bought the 2005s for the ridiculous price of $95.00 on release (except for the magnums of Old Sparky) got one of the great values ever from Napa Valley. To reiterate, the Schraders have a 30-year lease/partnership with Andy Beckstoffer for these specific micro-lots. The fascinating thing is, these wines taste young, with 30-40 years of aging potential! The differences are likely to become more apparent with cellaring. The total case production is only around 800 cases, as most of these cuvées range in production from a small lot of 1,000 cases for Old Sparky (but that’s all magnums) to 250 cases for the T6. Not to my surprise, their 2005s tasted like 3- or 4-year-old wines, all incredibly impressive, and all a treat to drink even now. That said, all of them have three decades or more cellaring potential.|Schrader, Tel. (707) 942-1540 eRobertParker.com.June, 2015