2023 Beckstoffer Vineyards Heritage Wines Pre-Release

20 Years of Shared Excellence

One day, twenty years ago, Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys walked into the office of Andy Beckstoffer, excited to pitch their new winery idea to him. They told him about B Cellars and asked if he would sell them some of his highly sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon from the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard.

“Who are you? … Where are you making your wine? …WHO is making your wine?” Andy asked, his complete incredulity coming through loud and clear in his famous Virginia drawl. “Nils Venge is going to be our Winemaker,” they answered. “I’ve known Nils Venge for twenty years. I’ve never heard him mention the two of you.” And with that he dismissed them from his office.

Well, Andy was right, more or less. They hadn’t exactly gotten a commitment from Nils to be their Winemaker, because they hadn’t exactly talked to him at that point. And, when they did get in front of Nils to make their pitch to them, he declined.

“I am not looking for new clients, at this point in my career—and definitely not clients starting a brand new brand. However, you should talk with my son, Kirk. He’s recently graduated with his Master’s from Davis, and he’s starting his career and looking for clients.” They did talk to Kirk. And Kirk was excited to work with Jim and Duffy. He loved their ideas for creating a winery label centered on blended wines.

So they went back to Andy to tell him the good news. Andy was not exactly overjoyed to see them again. But he was recently made aware of a key piece of information from his accountant. One of his small winery clients was not making their payments on their recent harvest from To Kalon Vineyard. And he had a feeling that Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys were not going to be easy to get rid of—they just didn’t seem like the kind of guys who understood what the word “no” meant. So he said, “I’ve known Kirk Venge since he was knee high to a grasshopper, and he’s a good kid. If he’s going to be your Winemaker, then I’ll sell you a couple of tons from our next harvest”. And Andy, who’s never been known for not speaking his mind plainly and clearly, added, “Plus, I get the idea that you’re never going to stop calling me until I sell you some grapes. So this way I get rid of you sooner…’cause you won’t be in business in two years anyway.”

The rest, as they say, is history, B Cellars and Beckstoffer Vineyards history. With that deal, Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys picked the first 4 bins, about 2 tons, of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Andy Beckstoffer’s famous To Kalon Vineyard. Since then, Andy’s team has harvested and delivered hundreds of tons of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Merlot, and Chardonnay to B Cellars. This release, of the 2023 vintage, is the 20th vintage made in partnership between Beckstoffer Vineyards and B Cellars.

And, if you hang around the winery estate at B Cellars or the Beckstoffer headquarters on the Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, you’ll likely run into these same four guys today. Still growing some of the best grapes on the planet, and still making them into some of the best wines. What a great trip it’s been.

Since 2014, we have been proud to produce a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from our of his six Heritage Vineyards. And today we also produce a single vineyard Cabernet Franc from both the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard and the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard.

The 2023 vintage is being touted as one of the most balanced and expressive in recent memory. The growing season was mild with steady temperatures, leading to even ripening and optimal flavor development. The extended growing period allowed for longer hang time, helping the grapes achieve ideal phenolic ripening. Good acidity and lack of dehydration result in wines with tension and nerve, complemented by mature, plush tannins. The wines from this vintage will be rich without feeling heavy, maintaining a fresh quality that adds complexity.

As in the past, we will bottle a small number of magnums (1.5 liter bottles) and will bottle into larger formats (3 liters, 6 liters, and up) as a custom order only. For this extraordinary vintage, we are offering a commemorative label, celebrating 20 years of shared history, partnership, and friendship between Beckstoffer Vineyards and B Cellars.

Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Missouri Vineyard has become synonymous with world-class wine. Located in Oakville AVA, this special vineyard is located on the western alluvial fan just north of the town of Yountville. The soil type is moderately deep alluvial silty clay loam. The vine’s roots struggle to find water causing them to burrow deep into the earth producing grapes with layered, concentrated, and balanced flavors. Oakville has a long-standing reputation for producing cellar-worthy wines of incredible character.

This wine is the most aromatic of the vintage, bursting with an expressive bouquet of cinnamon, holiday spices, chai, sassafras, cherry cola, orange tea, and mocha. The palate is lively and layered, offering bright notes of fresh strawberries, cassis, and blackberry preserves. As always, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard reveals a graceful elegance, showcasing a prettiness rarely seen in Oakville.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

To Kalon, the granddaddy of them all.  Heralded far and wide since the mid-1800s for producing wines of distinction, this may be the most storied vineyard in the Valley–and it’s worthy of the hype.  We pick from 2 rows in each blocks “A1,” “B1,” and “D1,” giving us an array of flavors from diverse clonal stock and vine age.  The soils on this famed alluvial fan run from cobble-pitted loams at the base of the Mayacamas to finer-grained silt toward the highway, where the bench levels out towards the Napa River.  The flavors are quintessentially Oakville and tell the story of the Napa Valley.

This is a broad-shouldered wine, as usual. It opens with a dark, brooding nose of wet slate, black olive tapenade, freshly pulled espresso, pencil lead, and chocolate malt. The palate is expansive and smooth, with mouth-coating tannins that carry generous layers of black fruit. True to its heritage, this wine stands as the granddaddy of Oakville; both powerful and polished.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

When Andy purchased this vineyard from Beaulieu, it was named simply “Beaulieu No. 3.”  Andy rechristened it after the legendary vintner and founder of BV, Georges de la Tour.  Sitting atop a sprawling array of different soils, bounded by the Silverado Trail and bisected by Conn Creek, this vineyard is a winemaker’s dreamland of terroir.  We pick from several blocks (“A1a,” “B1b,” “B2c,” and “E”) with soils ranging from clays to cobbles.

Aromas of Spanish cedar and green olive are punctuated by hints of green tea, menthol, and crushed raspberry. The palate mirrors this harmony, balancing bright raspberry fruit with earthy cola nut, olive, and delicate herbal tones of tea and anise. Gritty, dusty tannins lend structure and impressive length, carrying the finish with enduring persistence.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

William Bowers Bourn II, considered the last Bonanza King of the California Gold Rush, purchased his vineyard in St. Helena in 1872 as a family home and much of the original vineyard land remains in the care of his descendants to this day. A portion of the original vineyard was purchased by Beckstoffer Vineyards in 2010. Planted with head-trained, old-growth Petite Sirah and various clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, the Beckstoffer Bourn vineyard is the newest Heritage vineyard.

This wine is complex and layered.  A dense wine with a subdued and subtle nose of cocoa, toasted graham cracker, allspice, and dried flowers.  The palate is a complex maze of dried fruits and baked plums interwoven with rich, lengthy, and layered tannins.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Planted to vineyards for over 150 years, Beckstoffer Las Piedras traces its history back to the original Mexican land grants. In the 1840’s European settler Edward Bale planted the property, a wedding gift from General Vallejo, to Mission grapes. It became the first vineyard planted in what is now the St. Helena appellation and saw the first wine varietals planted in 1860. In 1983 Beckstoffer Vineyards purchased the property and planted it to two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. Impressed with the intensely gravely quality of the soils, farmworkers named the vineyard Las Piedras.  Our share of this historic piece of terroir is small and dear, yielding a mere two or three barrels of wine each vintage.

An expansive, not to say explosive, nose bursts with blueberry pie, black raspberry compote, toasted oak, barbecue pit, and s’mores. The full-bodied palate echoes these exuberant aromas, layering pie and compote fruits with notes of red vermouth, graphite, barrel spice, and cassis. This wine is unapologetically opulent, proving that sometimes, more truly is more.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Napa pioneer Dr. George Belden Crane originally planted Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard in 1858.  Eventually, the vineyard site became surrounded by the town of St Helena. Beckstoffer Vineyards acquired the historic vineyard site in 1997.  In 1998, the vineyard replant was overseen by Dave Michul, who was at the time the new head of vineyard operations for Beckstoffer Vineyards.  Today, Dave is the CEO of Beckstoffer Vineyards and these vines remain healthy and strong, producing some of the most coveted fruit of the entire Napa Valley.  It is difficult to describe with words the balance of pure power and finesse in the wines of Dr. Crane Vineyard.

Operatic as ever, the wine opens with an expressive nose of fennel, forest floor, cinnamon, and cardamom. The palate expands with crushed blueberries and blackberries, layered atop notes of blueberry pie and blackberry compote. Leathery tannins carry the finish and linger endlessly.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Napa pioneer Dr. George Belden Crane originally planted Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard in 1858.  Eventually, the vineyard site became surrounded by the town of St Helena. Beckstoffer Vineyards acquired the historic vineyard site in 1997.  In 1998, the vineyard replant was overseen by Dave Michul, who was at the time the new head of vineyard operations for Beckstoffer Vineyards.  Today, Dave is the CEO of Beckstoffer Vineyards and these vines remain healthy and strong, producing some of the most coveted fruit of the entire Napa Valley.  It is difficult to describe with words the balance of pure power and finesse in the wines of Dr. Crane Vineyard.

Brimming with aromatics, this wine opens with notes of candle wax, dried berries, and fragrant florals. The palate presents a lush interplay of strawberry pie, blackberry compote, and roasted espresso, all supported by viscous and velvety tannins.

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

To Kalon, the granddaddy of them all.  Heralded far and wide since the mid-1800s for producing wines of distinction, this may be the most storied vineyard in the Valley–and it’s worthy of the hype.  The soils on this famed alluvial fan run from cobble-pitted loams at the base of the Mayacamas to finer-grained silt toward the highway, where the bench levels out towards the Napa River.  The flavors are quintessentially Oakville and tell the story of the Napa Valley.

Aromatic and complex, with notes of candle smoke, black tea, and rose petals over hints of espresso. The palate delivers intensity and focus, with layers of mocha, dried and chocolate-covered cherries, and a dusting of cocoa powder. The richly viscous and expansive palate leads to a palate-coating tannic finish.

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

INTERESTED IN SOMETHING LARGER, OR A CUSTOM MAGNUM – INQUIRE HERE

Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Missouri Vineyard has become synonymous with world-class wine. Located in Oakville AVA, this special vineyard is located on the western alluvial fan just north of the town of Yountville. The soil type is moderately deep alluvial silty clay loam. The vine’s roots struggle to find water causing them to burrow deep into the earth producing grapes with layered, concentrated, and balanced flavors. Oakville has a long-standing reputation for producing cellar-worthy wines of incredible character.

This wine is the most aromatic of the vintage, bursting with an expressive bouquet of cinnamon, holiday spices, chai, sassafras, cherry cola, orange tea, and mocha. The palate is lively and layered, offering bright notes of fresh strawberries, cassis, and blackberry preserves. As always, Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard reveals a graceful elegance, showcasing a prettiness rarely seen in Oakville.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

To Kalon, the granddaddy of them all.  Heralded far and wide since the mid-1800s for producing wines of distinction, this may be the most storied vineyard in the Valley–and it’s worthy of the hype.  We pick from 2 rows in each blocks “A1,” “B1,” and “D1,” giving us an array of flavors from diverse clonal stock and vine age.  The soils on this famed alluvial fan run from cobble-pitted loams at the base of the Mayacamas to finer-grained silt toward the highway, where the bench levels out towards the Napa River.  The flavors are quintessentially Oakville and tell the story of the Napa Valley.

This is a broad-shouldered wine, as usual. It opens with a dark, brooding nose of wet slate, black olive tapenade, freshly pulled espresso, pencil lead, and chocolate malt. The palate is expansive and smooth, with mouth-coating tannins that carry generous layers of black fruit. True to its heritage, this wine stands as the granddaddy of Oakville; both powerful and polished.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

When Andy purchased this vineyard from Beaulieu, it was named simply “Beaulieu No. 3.”  Andy rechristened it after the legendary vintner and founder of BV, Georges de la Tour.  Sitting atop a sprawling array of different soils, bounded by the Silverado Trail and bisected by Conn Creek, this vineyard is a winemaker’s dreamland of terroir.  We pick from several blocks (“A1a,” “B1b,” “B2c,” and “E”) with soils ranging from clays to cobbles.

Aromas of Spanish cedar and green olive are punctuated by hints of green tea, menthol, and crushed raspberry. The palate mirrors this harmony, balancing bright raspberry fruit with earthy cola nut, olive, and delicate herbal tones of tea and anise. Gritty, dusty tannins lend structure and impressive length, carrying the finish with enduring persistence.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

William Bowers Bourn II, considered the last Bonanza King of the California Gold Rush, purchased his vineyard in St. Helena in 1872 as a family home and much of the original vineyard land remains in the care of his descendants to this day. A portion of the original vineyard was purchased by Beckstoffer Vineyards in 2010. Planted with head-trained, old-growth Petite Sirah and various clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, the Beckstoffer Bourn vineyard is the newest Heritage vineyard.

This wine is complex and layered.  A dense wine with a subdued and subtle nose of cocoa, toasted graham cracker, allspice, and dried flowers.  The palate is a complex maze of dried fruits and baked plums interwoven with rich, lengthy, and layered tannins.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Planted to vineyards for over 150 years, Beckstoffer Las Piedras traces its history back to the original Mexican land grants. In the 1840’s European settler Edward Bale planted the property, a wedding gift from General Vallejo, to Mission grapes. It became the first vineyard planted in what is now the St. Helena appellation and saw the first wine varietals planted in 1860. In 1983 Beckstoffer Vineyards purchased the property and planted it to two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. Impressed with the intensely gravely quality of the soils, farmworkers named the vineyard Las Piedras.  Our share of this historic piece of terroir is small and dear, yielding a mere two or three barrels of wine each vintage.

An expansive, not to say explosive, nose bursts with blueberry pie, black raspberry compote, toasted oak, barbecue pit, and s’mores. The full-bodied palate echoes these exuberant aromas, layering pie and compote fruits with notes of red vermouth, graphite, barrel spice, and cassis. This wine is unapologetically opulent, proving that sometimes, more truly is more.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa pioneer Dr. George Belden Crane originally planted Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard in 1858.  Eventually, the vineyard site became surrounded by the town of St Helena. Beckstoffer Vineyards acquired the historic vineyard site in 1997.  In 1998, the vineyard replant was overseen by Dave Michul, who was at the time the new head of vineyard operations for Beckstoffer Vineyards.  Today, Dave is the CEO of Beckstoffer Vineyards and these vines remain healthy and strong, producing some of the most coveted fruit of the entire Napa Valley.  It is difficult to describe with words the balance of pure power and finesse in the wines of Dr. Crane Vineyard.

Operatic as ever, the wine opens with an expressive nose of fennel, forest floor, cinnamon, and cardamom. The palate expands with crushed blueberries and blackberries, layered atop notes of blueberry pie and blackberry compote. Leathery tannins carry the finish and linger endlessly.

Custom Magnums Available Upon Request

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Franc

Napa pioneer Dr. George Belden Crane originally planted Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard in 1858.  Eventually, the vineyard site became surrounded by the town of St Helena. Beckstoffer Vineyards acquired the historic vineyard site in 1997.  In 1998, the vineyard replant was overseen by Dave Michul, who was at the time the new head of vineyard operations for Beckstoffer Vineyards.  Today, Dave is the CEO of Beckstoffer Vineyards and these vines remain healthy and strong, producing some of the most coveted fruit of the entire Napa Valley.  It is difficult to describe with words the balance of pure power and finesse in the wines of Dr. Crane Vineyard.

Brimming with aromatics, this wine opens with notes of candle wax, dried berries, and fragrant florals. The palate presents a lush interplay of strawberry pie, blackberry compote, and roasted espresso, all supported by viscous and velvety tannins.

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Franc

To Kalon, the granddaddy of them all.  Heralded far and wide since the mid-1800s for producing wines of distinction, this may be the most storied vineyard in the Valley–and it’s worthy of the hype.  The soils on this famed alluvial fan run from cobble-pitted loams at the base of the Mayacamas to finer-grained silt toward the highway, where the bench levels out towards the Napa River.  The flavors are quintessentially Oakville and tell the story of the Napa Valley.

Aromatic and complex, with notes of candle smoke, black tea, and rose petals over hints of espresso. The palate delivers intensity and focus, with layers of mocha, dried and chocolate-covered cherries, and a dusting of cocoa powder. The richly viscous and expansive palate leads to a palate-coating tannic finish.

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

Custom Engraving Included

INTERESTED IN SOMETHING LARGER, OR A CUSTOM MAGNUM – INQUIRE HERE