VM94: The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard is powerful, deep and super-expressive. The 2011 is just beginning to enter its plateau of maturity. This is an especially savory, dark, imposing Crane. Black cherry/plum fruit, grilled herbs, chocolate and licorice give this brooding Cabernet quite a bit of character. This warm site clearly had an advantage in dealing with the challenges of 2011. The style is lavishly rich and oaky, but all the elements are also well balanced, especially within the context of the year.

WA91: One of my personal favorites, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard possesses flinty, wet stone-like characteristics, more rugged tannins and an overall more masculine personality than the Las Piedras. Its concentration is impressive for a 2011, the tannins are ripe, and the wine is beefy and mouthfilling. Although it may lack some of the nuances typical for this site, it is definitely a star of the vintage. It should drink well for 10-15 years.