2019 CCS


“There’s something very special about this wine. The fruit component with the structure with the tannins, it is a pleasure to drink and a pleasure to share.” — Carol Schrader
  • Vintage 2019
  • Alcohol 14.5%
  • Vineyard Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
  • Appellation Oakville, Napa Valley
  • Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Clone Pure Clone 4, C1 Block
  • Cooperage Aged in 100% new Darnajou French oak barrels
  • Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown
  • Tasting Notes

    Extraordinarily rich and inky dark, the opulent 2019 Schrader CCS is loaded with gobs of ultra-ripe blue and black fruit aromas and flavors. Summer-picked blackberries, boysenberries, wild blueberries, and plum preserves abound and are layered with alluring notes of violets, black truffles, sweet earth, graphite, and fruitcake spice. Offering lavish fruit character, fine structure, and silky-smooth tannins, the 2019 Schrader CCS carries forward the tradition of excellence for the marque as one of the most honored and adored wines in our portfolio.

  • Accolades

    99 Pts. “From the C1 Block of Beckstoffer To Kalon, winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown has worked with these Clone 4 Cabernet vines since 2005. This is a block bottling like many of the Schrader wines. Lush, generous fruit but with structure – all the elements amplified but on equal proportions. Explosive nose of rich black fruits, black olive, dried wild herbs and baking spices. Incredibly textural with pixelated three-dimensional tannins finishing with pops of dried tobacco and purple-red florals. A joy to drink but among the most collectable and cellar worthy wines of the vintage. The 'CCS' on the label refers to the initials of proprietor Carol Colesworthy Schrader.”
    — Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter

    98 Pts. “Throws off a range of sassafras, chaparral and anise aromas before yielding up a prodigious core of açaí berry, plum and blackberry compote. Offers a great power/purity interplay throughout, with tarry violet and loamy incense accents. While tannic through the finish, this also reveals a subtle ripple of acidity and a hint of iron. Terrific. Best from 2024 through 2040.”
    — James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

  • Vineyard

    Beckstoffer’s vineyard in Oakville, first planted in 1868 by viticultural and winemaking icon Hamilton Crabb, has long been regarded as the source of Napa Valley’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. This section of the vineyard is situated in the heart of the valley. An alluvial fan provides excellent mineral deposits, and the rich soils are filled with marine sediment. The vines receive full sun and optimal heat during the day and are cooled by marine fog at night. These conditions allow each of the three clones planted in this vineyard (4, 6, and 337) to display its own unique character, and this celebration of individuality is the essence of Schrader.

  • Vintage

    A cool vintage overall, the picking windows for 2019 were very long, which gave us the luxury of harvesting each different vineyard block at the perfect level of ripeness. The moment we pressed the grapes, we knew this wine was heading toward greatness. It’s exhibiting remarkable freshness that perfectly balances its flavor concentration and compares to the exceptional 2001/2002 vintages for tannins and acidity. Wonderfully enjoyable at release but will also be an ideal addition to your cellar for many years to come.