Myriad Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Elysian 2014
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Unquestionably the largest scaled and most concentrated in the lineup, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Elysian is a deep, unctuous, yet incredibly elegant beauty that does everything right. Its inky purple color is followed by heavenly notes of crème de cassis, blueberry liqueur, burning embers and dark chocolate. It picks up a floral edge with time in the glass, has sensational depth and richness, and a seamless finish, all while playing in the more forward style of the vintage. Drink it anytime over the coming two decades of more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Elysian shows more chocolate and lead pencil notes, in a spicy, earthy style that come across like a great La Mission Haut-Brion. Rich blueberry and blackberry fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, low acidity and ripe tannin are luxurious, if not extravagant. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.
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James Suckling
This is very tight and focused with incredible depth of fruit and richness yet it's bright and intense. Fresh and fleshy! Full and fruity. Needs at least three to five years to open.
Other Vintages
2013-
Robert
Parker
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.