2019 T6


“An elixir of fruit and spice. As Thomas Rivers Brown says, ‘Everything in abundance, everything in restraint.’ It’s just really a very enticing wine and our team favorite.” — Carol Schrader
  • Vintage 2018
  • Alcohol 14.9%
  • Vineyard Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
  • Appellation Oakville, Napa Valley
  • Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Clone Pure Clone 6
  • Cooperage Aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels
  • Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown
  • Tasting Notes

    Schrader T6 is the super-ripe, sexy, and spicy team favorite of our portfolio. It opens with a cavalcade of wild strawberries, blackberries, black currants, plums, and raspberries, layered with exciting notes of exotic spice, white pepper, and tea leaves. On the palate — wow! This full-bodied wine dazzles with an explosion of black cherries, mixed berries, dark plums, and raspberries paired with an almost equally impactful mix of sweet and savory spice that continues through the everlasting finish. The fine natural balance and well-toned tannins beautifully support the enormous fruit core of this sensational wine.

  • Accolades

    97+ Pts “The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Ka Ion Vineyard is made from Clone 6, an old California heritage clone that's notoriously shy-bearing. It boasts lovely aromatics, layering dried spices and exotic florals over super-ripe cherries, while the full-bodied palate is all silk and cashmere, finishing incredibly long and elegant.”
    — Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate

    97 Pts “This pulls in the full Oakville spectrum nicely, with a polished, loamy structure carrying a large-scaled core of steeped plum, boysenberry compote and cassis flavors, while a backdrop of violet, sweet bay leaf and sassafras add range and contrast. The finish has power but maintains purity, with the fruit ringing out the longest in the end. 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.