2021 LPV

99 Pts “From the vineyard's rocky C Block, planted to Clone 337, Schrader's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV boasts soaring perfumes of roses and violets alongside red and yellow cherries. The 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud oak has been completely absorbed into the wine. Full-bodied but firm, silky yet structured, this wine reveals incredible poise and balance, showing admirable power yet lingering elegantly on the long finish.”
— Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate

99 Pts “Almost pure perfection in a glass, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard comes from a more rocky vineyard located on the west side of St. Helena. Black fruits, savory herbs, flowers, and crushed rock notes give way to a full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, seamless 2019. It has the ripe yet elegant style of the vintage (as well as the vineyard), ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a gorgeous finish.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

96 Pts “Delivers warm steeped black currant and blackberry compote flavors that are broad and deep as they roll through, laced with licorice root, singed alder and warm paving stone notes. A subtle cast iron accent peeks in at the very end, adding a lingering echo of terroir without obstructing the fruit. Gorgeous. Best from 2023 through 2040.”
— James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

98 Pts. “The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV comes from a rocky site just outside of St. Helena, next to the Dr. Crane vineyard. Despite its close proximity, this vineyard always seems to yield a more red-fruited, elegant wine compared to the more powerful style from Dr. Crane. Deep ruby/purple colored, with a killer bouquet of savory red and black fruits. tobacco, chocolate, dried flowers. and bay leaves, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, perfect balance, and a great, great finish. This is a gorgeous, utterly thrilling 2018. It should probably merit a triple-digit rating in 4-5 years and evolve for 30+ years or more.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

98 Pts. “Wonderful aromas of currants, crushed berries and flowers. Very deep and complex. Full-bodied and layered with loads of ripe tannins, yet they are polished and very fine. Extremely long finish. Give it at least five years to come together and refine. Try after 2025.”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

97 Pts. “Packed for sure, but there's a lot of freshness and inner brightness too, with a core of cassis, plum puree and linzer flavors gliding through atop polished structure, while violet, anise and roasted apple wood notes fill in liberally through the finish, which sports a buried but discernibly racy graphite edge. Gorgeous. Best from 2022 through 2040.”
— James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

96 Pts. “Schrader’s “LPV” comes from Beckstoffer’s Las Piedras vineyard, produced from 337 clone grown on the C block. One hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it was aged for 18 months in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Lpv slowly unfurls to reveal fragrant notes of red roses, cherry pie, mulberries and warm cassis with hints of fallen leaves, potpourri and Indian spices. The medium-bodied palate delivers fantastic intensity with loads of exotic spice accents complementing the crunchy red and black fruits, framed by firm, grainy tannins and a lively backbone. It finishes with a beautiful fragrant-earth signature. 443 cases were made.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

100 Pts. “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV is very deep purple-black in color with an incredibly perfumed nose of potpourri, lavender and red roses with hints of oolong tea, cigar boxes and fragrant earth over a black cherry, blackberry and warm plums core. Full-bodied, firm and with wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins, it delivers mouth-filling black fruits and an epically long, wonderfully fragrant finish.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

98+ Pts. “There are two wines from this rocky site located on the western edge of St. Helena, which was purchased by the Beckstoffer family in 1983. Looking first at the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard, which is 100% clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new oak, it has a dense, backward style as well as insane minerality in its full-bodied aromas and flavors of black fruits, dark chocolate, violets, and earth. Locked and loaded on the palate, it has a layered, multi-dimensional texture, yet is certainly one of the more backward releases. Don't think about opening bottles for at least 3-5 years.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

94 Pts. “This features lush, velvety waves of plum sauce, blackberry puree and warmed fig confiture rolling through, laced liberally with melted black licorice and Black Forest cake notes. The toast is equally lavish on the finish. Integrated and balanced, but be prepared for the ostentatious style. Best from 2020 through 2032. 311 cases made.”
— James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

98+ Pts. “Coming from the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard, from blocks C and E that are planted to clones 337 and 4, respectively, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Lpv has a very deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed black berries, black currant cordial and garrigue with wafts of sage, mocha and cedar chest plus a hint of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, very firm and very tightly knit, the palate reveals great elegance and sophistication, with slowly revealing layers and a lovely minerality coming through on the long finish. 2,017 cases produced.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

98 Pts. “From a site in St. Helena, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV offers a slightly darker, blacker, earthier style to go with tons of blue fruits, black cherries, crushed rock, and chocolate. It picks up a touch of white flowers with time in the glass and is seamless, pure, full-bodied, and structured on the palate. This is another terrific, blockbuster effort from Thomas Brown that's going to benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and cruise in the cellar for 20+ years.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

95 Pts. “Openly rich and fruity, with a dense core of supple blackberry, plum and cherry fruit shaded by spicy oak notes that add flavor and texture, gliding along gracefully on the aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2033.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

99 Pts. “The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon LPV is from clone 337 from the Las Piedras Vineyard in St. Helena. This shows Mission Haut-Brion-like characteristics as it has in the past, with crushed rock, wet gravel, scorched earth, blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is clearly one of my favorites of this entire tasting. It has 14.5% natural alcohol and was aged in 90% new Darnajou and 10% new Taransaud barrels. This is a killer effort.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

97 Pts. “A profound nose of crushed blueberries, blackberries and minerals. Licorice, too. Full body, superfine tannins and a long, long finish. Linear and racy. Wonderful balance and structure. Leave it until at least 2020.”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

90 Pts. “Sleek and understated, with a mix of loamy earth, licorice, dark berry, cedar and gravelly, rocky soil flavors, ending with fruit and earth themes, oak and dry tannins. Drink now through 2020.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

94 Pts. “The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Lpv comes from clone 337. This is a rather earthy style for a Schrader wine, with less drama and flamboyance, but great fruit, a more meaty, dusty style with underbrush as well as blackcurrants, with spicy oak. It’s dense, full-bodied and promises to age nicely for 20 more years.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

94 Pts. “Offers a powerful, extracted, high-torque core of zesty blackberry, wild berry, anise, licorice and crushed rock flavors. Sails a steady course once underway, ending where it starts, with a dense mix of complex earth and berry notes. Best from 2020 through 2033.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

97 Pts. “Amazing aromas of hot stone, iodine, black currants and blackberries. Full body, super polished tannins that highlight the dark fruits, plus white pepper, salt and fruit character. Precise and focused. Better in 2020.”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

95 Pts. “Starts out bold and assertive, with rich dark berry, cedar and nutmeg flavors, revealing touches of espresso, mocha and melted black licorice. Well-built, tight and persistent, this will benefit from short-term cellaring.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

94 Pts. “The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV is black/ruby, shows lots of charcoal, scorched earth and an almost Graves-on-steroids personality. Deep blueberry and blackberry fruit, a hint of coffee and chocolate are all present in this impressive, very different style of Cabernet Sauvignon from Schrader. This is Clone 337, planted in a St. Helena vineyard.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

93 Pts. “Schrader’s newest offering is the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV, which comes from clone 337 of the Las Piedras site. This is a west side valley floor vineyard with a foundation of alluvial river pebbles and rocks as well as gravelly loam. The Schraders have a long-term lease on 5 acres, which, added to their 16 acres of Beckstoffer To Kalon and 5 acres of Beckstoffer George III, gives them some pretty serious leases on some of the finest terroirs in Napa Valley. The softest wine of this portfolio, there are 350 cases of the 2011 LPV, far less than the 600 cases produced in 2012. Given its warm micro-climated, these grapes were picked before the rains descended. The wine exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, supple tannins, and sweet red and black currants, licorice, Christmas fruitcake, incense and forest floor. This beautiful, medium-bodied 2011 is already complex and evolved. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate