Reviews

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This was the ripest and most fruit-bomby of all the wines in the blind, with a rounded core that was covered in extracted baskets of gushing fruit. It's a cocktail style that is all bachelorette…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon GIII Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Vanilla slathered banana chips and dried coconut shavings. All oak and no joke. There is also a spearmint tinge on the finish that, along with the lumber, washes over what would be the expression of…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Broad-shouldered and powerful, the T6 launches its attack with copious amounts of cassis, muddled black and red raspberry, red cherry liqueur, and some boozy vanillin flavors, finishing strong and…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

2016 Myriad Elysian, 2016 Myriad Empyrean, 2015 Schrader To Kalon, 2015 Schrader GIII

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon GIII Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

2016 Myriad Elysian, 2016 Myriad Empyrean, 2015 Schrader To Kalon, 2015 Schrader GIII

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Oh this is a shag-a-licious mojo-kickin' beast that's all about velour robes, cigars, and a crackling fireplace at midnight. Plush, silky, velvety, and a textural kitten purr of a wine, the 2012…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This is listed as either the Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon (no TK designation) or with the To Kalon reference. It seems to have been a one-bottle part of the "Super Pack" back when it was released, but…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Much improved since my last sampling of this wine back in 2018, this vintage of RBS certainly has shown its willingness to develop in terms of breaking past the prickly barriers it was struggling to…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Clone To-Kalon Vineyard

A stellar performance and unquestionably the best wine in the lineup, the 2018 Heritage Clone To Kalon forces you to stop in your tracks before you even try to take a sip, with a nose that blossoms…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A slight funk on the nose gives way to more pronounced fruit aromas of wild berries and plum. On the palate, dark berry compote is intermixed with leather, cedar, and currant notes, signaling the…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

2017 Schrader RBS and CCS side-by-side.

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

2017 Schrader RBS and CCS side-by-side.

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

2014 Quivet LPV and 2014 Schrader LPV side-by-side.

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A year since I had this wine. Man, I did everything I could think of to spoon-feed this wine into being anything beyond a stern-ass liquid Liam Neeson. No dice. This RBS carried a Klingon furrowed…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Black and red core fruit, with notes of black and red raspberry, black and red cherry, vanilla liqueur, black rock, and some cedar. The mineral note shows up again on the back end (thankfully),…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Colesworthy Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

This was a bit more elevated than the standard 2015 Schrader LPV served beside it, but this too was a helpless kitten when the tiger 2015 Carter Verdad LPV stepped in and pawed the crap out of the…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Better than the 2014 Schrader LPV and 2014 Colesworthy, but it couldn't catch up to the 2015 Colesworthy (likely by design). However, the conversation amongst the Schraders became somewhat…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Colesworthy Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Better than the 2014 Schrader LPV, but in no way a top performer among the other LPVs served throughout the evening. It was good. It was fine. It was maybe even better than fine. But considering the…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Vastly less concentrated than the 2012 Schrader LPV I've had previously, and a shadow of a wine when compared to the 2014 Colesworthy served beside it. On top of it all, this was also side-by-side…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This Schrader started off much in the same way a 2013 Carter OG began its display of flavors on PnP the night before: overt red (and some black) fruit (bordering on "fruity") and little in its…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

Similar to my notes from 3/14/2016. PnP had some hits of alcohol and bitterness on the attack initially, but that dissipated fairly quickly after decanting and filtering-off the sediment. Lively and…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

PnP with initially tart red and purple berry notes and alcohol on the back end. An hour in the decanter yielded ripe and fruity core flavors with plum, red and black licorice, and some vanilla. There…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Similar to last year's experience with this wine, with super-plush and fatty black cherry liqueur and purple plum fruit gushing out in an overtly giving display of sexy, posh flavors. Good purity of…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon GIII Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

PnP and over the course of the first couple of hours, notes of higher-toned, red berry fruit dominated. Red currant, some tart cranberry (which wasn't the most desirable of flavors for me personally…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

At the risk of sounding like I'm getting kickbacks from Schrader or something (I wish!), I have to admit this was indeed a fabulous showing with this wine. Had a bit of a tight grip on initial PnP,…