(99 points) The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Elysian Reserve is certainly a puff and a whisper away from pure perfection. Absolutely compelling Cabernet Sauvignon (100% of that varietal), the wine has an opaque purple color, a beautiful set of aromatics that include a spring flower garden, blueberry, mulberry and blackberry fruit, a glorious display of fruit, flawlessly integrated wood tannin, alcohol and acidity. The finish goes on for a good 40-50 seconds. These are not wimpish wines at 15.1% alcohol, but that’s well-concealed, and makes a mockery of the high-octane, anti-alcohol, pleasure police who would rather pontificate than actually taste. This is a modern-day classic and a tour de force. Drink it over the next 20 years. I found it hard to spit this one out.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is stunning, and certainly not far off the smaller production Elysian release, although it has a more open, sexy, ready to go style. Loads of mulled blackcurrants, dried violets, chocolate, tobacco, and cedar pencil notes give way to an incredibly sexy, full-bodied 2012 that has loads of fruit, no hard edges, and the weightless, elegant style that sets the 2012 vintage apart. It’s a stunning wine to drink over the coming 15-20 years.