Carter Cellars Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Tasting Notes
From our original block on the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard, the 2015 'La Verdad' is ultra low production wine. Showing a strikingly dark hue, the nose emits a show stopping rush of blueberry and black fruits. The first taste is an opulent and rich attack on the senses, bursting with concentrated blue and black fruits, while the underlying minerality and structure result in a muscular but well-balanced Cabernet. A full-bodied mid-palate reveals finely integrated tannins that lift the overall back bone of the wine and ends with an opulent rich fruit driven finish.
"Very deep inky-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard La Verdad is scented of freshly crushed black currants, warm blackberries and black cherries with touches of incense, damp earth and cigar boxes plus a waft of anise. Full-bodied and beautifully poised in the mouth, the elegant fruit layers are well framed by very fine, pixelated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and layered."
97+ Points ~Robert Parker
Map of the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard
The History of the Las Piedras Vineyard
Dating back to the Mexican land grants, the Las Piedras vineyard is considered to be the first vineyard planted in what is now the St. Helena AVA. In 1983 Beckstoffer Vineyards purchased the property and planted it to two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon with modern trellising. Impressed with the quality of the gravelly soil, the farm workers named the vineyard Las Piedras, which means the stones or little pebbles. The vineyard sits at the base of Sulfur Creek on the southwest outskirts of St. Helena. With a gentle slope, the site belongs to the fan-shaped flood plain created by run-off from Sulfur creek and the hillsides above. Riddled with rocks, the soil is porous and provides ideal support for the vines and when matched with excellent farming techniques, the result is remarkable dense and concentrated fruit.
