A magical, majestic wine, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Elysian is a tiny barrel selection from this First Growth site just outside of Saint Helena. Dense purple-hued with an undeniable Graves-like bouquet of blackcurrants, unsmoked tobacco, damp earth, cedarwood, and iron, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, powerful style that stays light on its feel, flawlessly balanced, and as pure and seamless as they come. From a great vintage, a great terroir, and a great winemaker, it’s still tight and closed on the palate and needs 4-5 years of bottle age, but it will keep for 30-40 years. It’s an incredible wine!

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Elysian Reserve has a black/bluish purple color, extraordinary suppleness and velvety integration of tannin, copious quantities of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, graphite and white flowers. It’s amazing wine and would be the equivalent of a great vintage of a Mission Haut-Brion on steroids. Whether it lasts 20 years or 30 or 40 is still up for speculation, but this is a profound Cabernet Sauvignon and one of the most compelling examples of this remarkable vintage. This is an utterly compelling, prodigious effort. Here’s to you, Mike Smith! - Robert M. Parker, Jr.