Carter Cellars Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Tasting Notes
One of our most highly sought after wines, the 2020 'La Verdad' is an extremely low production wine from our original block of stressed vines on the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard. Inky and dark in the glass, the nose emits a show stopping rush of mouth-watering black cherry and blue fruits. The first taste is a pleasurable attack on the senses, bursting with concentrated dark black and blue fruits, mixed with crushed earth and spicy floral undertones. Year after year, the underlying structure and minerality 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 a textured and lengthy finish..
"The 2021 'La Verdad' is an absolute stunner out of the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard. It immediately starts off by displaying an impressive dark, inky color, which is followed by seductive aromas of ripe dark currants, black cherries and blueberries, which are accompanied by fresh violets, exotic spices, graphite, dark chocolate and dried tobacco nuances that all take shape and burst from the glass. On the palate this is full-bodied, structured and layered, with outstanding overall depth and concentration. It goes on to impress as it displays a wonderful rich texture all the way through the sensational long, opluent finish that ties everything together beautifully. An absolute gem from Carter Cellars and winemaker Russell Bevan, which is already absolutely captivating, however should also offer a lenghty drinking window that will span the course of three decades."
100 Points ~ International Wine Report
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.
