2016 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Made of 100% Cabernet, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr Crane Vineyard opens with provocative dried herbs, fragrant earth and mossy bark notes over a core of warm cassis, plum preserves and black cherry pie plus espresso, iron ore and licorice hints. Full-bodied and taut in the mouth with wonderfully concentrated, tightly wound, bold black fruit and earth layers, it has a solid frame of ripe, velvety tannins, finishing very long with tons of ferrous/mineral sparks. Both compellingly cerebral and tantalizingly sexy—bravo! 490 cases produced.

Another wine that just about tops out my scale is the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard. This rock star vineyard on the west side of St. Helena continues to dish out awesome wine after awesome wine. Blackcurrants, chocolate, tobacco leaf, and lead pencil notes all flow to a full-bodied, powerful, multi-dimensional Cabernet that has building tannins, thrilling purity of fruit, and a great finish. Nothing is out of place, it’s perfectly balanced, and shows the class, balance, and purity that make this vintage so special. Drink it any time over the coming 2+ decades.

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane stands out for its delicate, sensual personality. Then again, that is one of the signatures found in so many wines from this St. Helena site. Sweet red cherry jam, spice and floral notes all grace this mid-weight, elegantly layered Cabernet Sauvignon from Alpha Omega.