2009 SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON Vineyard:     Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville Varietal:       100% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone:          Clones 4 and 337 Aging:          20 months on average Cooperage:  Darnajou and Taransaud

PRESS NOTES ON SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON:

2009 SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
Rated 96+ Pts. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard comes across as big, tight and powerful. This is one of the more reticent, inward of the 2009 Schraders. Tar, licorice, menthol and violets are some of the notes that wrap around the intense, virile finish. Today the CCS is a touch compact. It will merit a higher score if the fruit fills out a little more. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029. (Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate)

Rated 95 Pts. Dense and chewy, offering edgy tannins but also a wealth of complex flavors built around dark berry, mocha, cedar, spice and tobacco leaf, with a fantastic aftertaste. A rustic expression of To Kalon. Best from 2014 through 2030. 290 cases made. (James Laube, Wine Spectator)

2008 SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
Rated 100 Pts. 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... 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.

For some reason I have a sweet spot for Schrader's 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS, which, like the 2007, merits a perfect rating. That should set up some very interesting competitive tastings in the future. Made from a particular block of Clone 4 planted in the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard, there is something just broader, deeper, more multidimensional and more subtle without losing any of the great intensity, purity and richness these wines possess that gives the CCS an amazing character. Keep in mind, as my editor pointed out to me, this is the third straight vintage of this cuvee to merit a perfect score, which must be the first of its kind in 32 years of critiquing wines. Blueberry pie intermixed with creme de cassis, licorice, subtle oak and forest floor notes are followed by an extraordinary wine of staggering richness, luxurious fruit and seamlessness. This is the kind of wine that simply has it all, and I think it could easily be inserted in a tasting against the greatest first-growth Bordeaux or any other profound Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa or elsewhere and hold its own, if not dominate the tasting. There is a remarkable character to this wine that will be fascinating to follow over the next 25-30 years. (Robert M. Parker, The Wine Advocate)

Rated 95 Pts. Gorgeous aromas of ripe blueberry, wild berry and strawberry are rich, with notes of loamy earth. Full-bodied, this is very elegant, delicate and detailed, building both fruit intensity and dimension without gaining weight, ending with a return to the berry pie medley. (James Laube, Wine Spectator)



2007 SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
Rated 100 Pts. Offering riveting aromas of red and black cherry, red and black licorice, plum, spice and cedar, this is firm, full-bodied, deep, dense and concentrated on the palate, not wanting to bend much now, but with a muscular thrust of flavors and backbone that bodes well for cellaring. Best from 2012 through 2025. (James Laube, Wine Spectator)

Rated 100 Pts. There is something about the inky/purple-hued 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard CCS (clone 4) that blows me away. The most opulent, perfumed, and accessible of these wines, it exhibits an opaque purple color as well as an extraordinary density and richness in addition to copious creme de cassis, cedar, ink, and spice box characteristics. As with all of these wines, there is a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol in addition to phenomenal length and ripeness. The multidimensional personality and full-bodied style, with both power and elegance, is compelling. This amazing effort can be drunk now, but it will be even better in 4-5 years, and should unfold gracefully over the following 30+ years. (Robert M. Parker, The Wine Advocate)



2006 SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
Rated 100 Pts. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon CCS is utter perfection in Cabernet Sauvignon. Extraordinary power, fruit depth, and perfume (not dissimilar from its siblings) as well as a seamlessness, monumental richness, and a staggering finish are the stuff of legends. Again, the dominant characteristics are creme de cassis, graphite, espresso, blackberries, chocolate, and subtle background new oak.

As I wrote last year, this is a fascinating portfolio of 100% Cabernet Sauvignons all of them from Beckstoffer-owned vineyards, including the To-Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, and one wine from the George III Vineyard in Rutherford. All the wines are aged in 100% new French oak, usually a combination of Darnajou and Taransaud barrels, with a higher percentage of Darnajou used for the T6, CCS, Old Sparky, and Schrader. The different bottlings are essentially based on specific blocks and/or specific clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. In short, I think the 2006s are arguably the finest wines of the vintage, and the 2007s appear to be as profound. (Robert M. Parker, The Wine Advocate)



2005 SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
Rated 95 Pts. Dark and intense, with firm, structured currant, black cherry, blackberry and spicy, cedary flavors that provide backbone and depth. Young and tight, this needs time, revealing an elegance and refinement on the finish. (James Laube, Wine Spectator)

Rated 95 Pts. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS, which is clone 4 from block C1, displays a bit more depth and tannic structure. Its inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by sensational aromas of crème de cassis, scorched earth, acacia flowers, licorice, cedar, and grilled meats. Pure, full-bodied, and powerful, it should hit its prime in 4-5 years, and last for 25. (Robert M. Parker, The Wine Advocate)




2004 SCHRADER CCS CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
WINE SPECTATOR'S HIGHEST RATED CABERNET SAUVIGNON for the 2004 Vintage!
"ALL FOUR OF THE NEW SCHRADER CABERNETS ARE BREATHTAKING, THE BEST HE'S MADE YET."   -James Laube, Wine Spectator

Rated 97 Pts. Dark, dense and powerful without being heavy or ponderous. Tiers of mocha-laced currant, cassis, blackberry, spice and subtle herb shadings give this tightly focused wine great depth and personality. Drink now through 2015. (James Laube, Wine Spectator)

Rated 96+ Pts. Made mostly from Clone 4 with some Clone 6 and Clone 337 (100% from the To-Kalon Vineyard), the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the more abundant cuvees (250 cases versus 125 of the RBS, 175 of the CCS, and 100 cases of the Old Sparky). The wine has great purity, richness, and wonderful sweet, smoky, coffee bean, and black currant notes intermixed with some spring flowers and cedar. Very rich, full-bodied, and intense, with an almost Graves-like scorched earth/hot stone sort of character, this wine exhibits superb ripeness, purity, texture, and a multi-dimensional personality. (Robert M. Parker, The Wine Advocate)