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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 96.6 pts. and median of 97 pts. in 39 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by D.Callahan on 11/25/2021 & rated 97 points: Double decanted 3 hours before drinking. A modicum of lees decanted off. Excellent nose of mostly dark fruits. The palate started out with excellent structure overlaying licorice, dark cherry, cedar, excellent acidity and cassis. Thus is an outstanding wine with many years left to mature further. (1753 views) | | | Tasted by csimm on 11/11/2021 & rated 94 points: Schrader multi-vintage tasting: 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 progression of this wine and its comparative age amongst its other siblings. Considering it is 13 years from vintage, this CCS has plenty of requisite energy and verve, with a notable grip that persists with air. The more developed leather and cigar notes add interest, especially for those looking for some additional nuance and secondary/tertiary flavors from these otherwise big and lusciously rich wines. Drink now and over the next 5-7 years. (4134 views) | | | Tasted by willfab60 on 4/10/2021 & rated 95 points: Nice compliment to our Wagyu Strip steak at the Summit. Blueberry, blackberry with a hint of chocolate. Crisp , smooth and well balanced. Dont think this will improve with more age. Drink Up! (1897 views) | | | Tasted by timothynbond on 1/2/2021 & rated 91 points: 3 1/2 hour decant. Deep ruby colored. Even after the decant some strong butterscotch aromas that eventually blew off. Medium plus bodied with strong grippy tannins and medium acid. Very concetrated with dark fruits on the front along with graphite and coffee grounds and some real oakiness mid-palate. Not much changed on day two -- a bit more fruit but still very tannic. This needs a lot more time. (2078 views) | | | Tasted by BROpus One on 12/26/2020 & rated 93 points: I opened and decanted for 3 hours on the 24th. I drank about 25% of the bottle and it was good, but not great. I opened again on the 25th and the wine had softened nicely and really had a nice long finish. I let it slow ox all day and re-visited for hours. The last sip was the best for me which means it needs more age for my taste. If you like bigger edge cali cabs then this drinks great now but with another 3-5 years I think this gets better and better. (1999 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 8/23/2020 & rated 97 points: Casual Dinner w/Friends (R&R's): No formal note. Courtesy of our hosts, opened some time before dinner and allowed to breathe in bottle. In two words- hot damn. This is something special. Not as big as I anticipated this would be, this was more elegant. Lovely perfune of violets, cassis, currant, black cherry liqueur and bitter chocolate. Silky tannins; wonderful mouthfeel. Red and black fruit, herbs, soft spice and chocolate. Balanced; long finish. Liquid velvet texture. Wow. (1869 views) | | | Tasted by Old Vino on 4/19/2020 & rated 94 points: 6oz via coravin. Wine remains young, however within early drinking period. Dark red color no browning. Within an hour, scents of sweet dark fruits intertwined with floral orange blossoms and oak emerge. On palate it packs a bunch of dense dark fruits. Tannins noticeable but don't affect the drinking joy. For those who doubt California wine is short lived, I'd cellar a bottle for a decade or 2 more. We think they will be in for a pleasant surprise. (1584 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 2/20/2020 & rated 94 points: "Cult Wines" & a Few Others (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted for 3.5 hours. Drank a glass plus over 3 hours. Despite the decant - and this never went back into bottle before serving, this took some serious glass time to really open up on the nose. Maybe a good 30 minutes in, this developed a more classical Napa Cabernet nose with a nice perfume of dark chocolate, graphite, and cassis. The palate is pretty open from the start and gets better also. This is deep and concentrated, but really more of a mid-weight plus feel despite being what I'd call full bodied on the palate, dark fruits, cassis predominates, very pretty, slightly herbal, succulent fruits, citrus and pomegranate, gravelly minerality, medium plus finish. I like this, feels well put together and the class of the flight. 93+ to maybe 94pts. (1854 views) | | | Tasted by Quiet Lion on 4/25/2019 & rated 95 points: Decanted and served. Thick body with notes of volcanic soil along with a very intense, palate-filling dark fruit. Perhaps a bit overstated for my taste but a jolly, delicious wine. (2252 views) | | | Tasted by Steve Bird on 11/23/2018 & rated 100 points: Oh my. Decanted for 1.5 hrs. Black fruit and tobacco on the nose. Tannins were perfectly balanced. Dare say a 100 point wine. (2184 views) | | | Tasted by MC2 Wines on 10/19/2018: Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): Very dark sweet fruits here. Again some vanilla and a bit more pepper here than the '05 had. Get the oak in this. I think maybe just needs some more time. (2958 views) | | | Tasted by Bcw1989 on 8/26/2018 & rated 95 points: Fabulous wine. Schrader never makes a bad wine especially if you like amped up Cabernets! Great with food and easy drinking afterward. Had a little left and finished it next day. Still had the traditional Schrader characteristics. (1823 views) | | | Tasted by jcampano on 8/16/2018 & rated 98 points: A wonderfully balanced yet powerful cabernet that live up to its billing. Decanted for 3 hours, it was a bold cab with black fruit and forest floor aromatics followed by bold black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors. It could be cellared for another 15 - 20 years, but was “epic” and “next level” now (according to 2 friends of mine). (1976 views) | | | Tasted by asteff on 1/20/2018 & rated 96 points: Fantastic deep fruit of a mix of red and blues. Spice and balance and a wonderful lengthy finish. . (2073 views) | | | Tasted by B Paul on 11/24/2017 & rated 96 points: Last of my 2008 Schraders. Opened and poured and it was good from start. Seems to be at a great spot. (2004 views) | | | Tasted by Agreenblatt on 5/5/2016 & rated 99 points: Consistent with last notes. Let it breathe 2-4 hours (3413 views) | | | Tasted by winelover1808 on 5/1/2016 & rated 97 points: notes from a two day decant; first day was too wound even with a two hour decant. let it sit in my temperature cooled cellar. day two was amazing. seductive, tons of perfume, cassis and layers of fruit. this just needs tons of time to open up and when it does, its about as hedonistic and polished as it gets. (2890 views) | | | Tasted by Agreenblatt on 10/2/2015 & rated 99 points: This continued to get better with air. I finished it at 4 hours and was still getting better. This might deserve 100, but I'll need to drink it again to be sure. (3406 views) | | | Tasted by EyeDoc on 3/6/2015 & rated 98 points: Really lives up to the hype. Decanted - improved in glass over two hours. (3843 views) | | | Tasted by dhammer53 on 11/30/2014: Drank this at Madigan's 50th birthday party in the Bay area. I can't find my notes, but I know that you'll really enjoy this. Drink or hold. (3600 views) | | | Tasted by Barbaro on 4/19/2014 & rated 97 points: Decanted for 6 hours. This wine is a powerhouse. Dark fruit on the initial taste with a bold, complex finish. Some hints of violets, menthol and tar on the nose. This wine has tons of life ahead of it judging by the intensity. 97+ because this wine will score even higher with some more time to integrate. Beautiful showing of To Kalon fruit. (3269 views) | | | Tasted by sdezutti on 2/12/2013 & rated 98 points: Drank at Sweet Basil, Vail. Wow! This wine has it all. It is concentrated, intense and elegant at the same time. Not a thick fruit bomb by any means. This had a deep ruby color and opened up with an array of spice notes and cigar box notes. Very elegant on the palate. With time in the decanter berry notes, earth and minerality started to come out. I will say 98+ right now only because I detected some astringent tannins on the finish. It is young and once these integrate this will be 100 points for sure. Those who criticize Napa wines of being too ripe and over extracted need to try this; it is truly unique. (4883 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Schrader Cellars Producer websiteSchrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyardwith apologies to Robert Parker, here are the vineyard sources and clones of Cabernet Sauvignon he gives in Wine Advocate:
Beckstoffer To-Kalon
From the reviews I gave Schrader’s 2007s and 2008s last year and the 2005s and 2006s previously, to the recent Wine Spectator cover story on Fred and Carol Schrader, there doesn’t appear to be a hotter Cabernet Sauvignon producer in the New World than this small boutique winery. Their wines have already received four perfect scores and with this report, that grows to six. A lot of this might be somewhat confusing, but let me try and simplify their philosophy. Schrader Cellars is essentially dedicated to showcasing one of the great vineyard sites of Napa Valley, the Beckstoffer To-Kalon vineyard in Oakville. They produce wines from separate clones and parcels within that vineyard. In 2000, they added another Beckstoffer vineyard, George III, in Rutherford, which has a completely different soil base and offers another study of a different terroir. I suppose one could call this a winery within a vineyard within several parcels using some of the most famed clones of Cabernet Sauvignon to further highlight these subtle differences. As one can see from the tasting notes, the Old Sparky comes from Clone 4, Clone 6 and Clone 337, the Schrader from Clone 4, Clone 6 and Clone 337, the CCS all from Clone 4, the T6 all from Clone 6, the RBS all from Clone 337 and the George III all from Clone 337. All of this results in about 1,600 cases of wine, which is not a tiny amount as the individual selections run between a maximum of 400 cases for the George III to 150 cases of the T6. The consulting winemaker for Fred and Carol Schrader is no other than Thomas Brown, who has won all kinds of accolades (well-deserved in my opinion) over the last 12 months. In essence, these wines are aged 18-24 months in a majority of Darnajou French barrels with some Taransaud included. The wines are incredibly expressive examples of Cabernet Sauvignon that are as good as it gets for this varietal. Of course they are more similar than dissimilar, but I suspect virtually every vintage they have produced to date has 25-40 years of cellaring potential, and long term aging should produce more and more subtle differences to support this compulsive study of clones and parcels within a given vineyard. I’ll try and keep my notes simple, but these are profoundly great, world-class wines. If you can find any, don’t hesitate to buy them - you won’t regret it. These wines may also appeal to those who think alcohols have gotten out of line in Napa Valley. All of them have between 14.4% and 14.7% alcohol, which is modest for such great, rich wines.
Are readers totally confused about the multiple clonal experiments and single block Schrader Cabernet Sauvignons? All of them emanate from the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard with one exception, the George III Vineyard in Rutherford. Schrader’s mission statement is essentially one where their 30-year leases on vineyard parcels give them the ability to present a specific clonal study of Cabernet Sauvignon from three highly desired clones (4, 6, and 337) grown within a single vineyard. Perhaps this is more than most people want or need to know. The bottom line is that with their production averages about 1,600 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, the wines do have subtle differences, but most importantly, all of them are extraordinary in quality – among the finest wines one could possibly find in the world. Fred Schrader and his wife, Carol, hired Thomas Brown to make these wines. Their 2006s were among the finest wines of that vintage, their 2008s look to be among the top wines I tasted in that year, and the 2007s, universally acknowledged as a great vintage for Napa, are spectacular. All of these cuvees are aged in 100% new French oak, mostly Darnajou barrels with a sprinkling of Taransaud.
Tel. (707) 942-1212; fax (707) 942-1572Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonBeckstoffer To Kalon VineyardBeckstoffer To Kalon continues to receive worldwide accolades for its wines, particularly in the last decade. The vineyard is on a gentle slope on the western foothills of the Oakville appellation. Soils are Bale loam/Bale clay loam, and are impeccably farmed by Andy Beckstoffer’s team. We have a by-acre contract so we can determine canopy, crop load and picking dates – but rely on the Beckstoffer viticulturists for insight into this unique vineyard to guide our decisions. ... ©2012 Tor Kenward Family Wines
On weinlagen-info
USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Oakville |
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