2015 G.B. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon

The Crane Assembly is a partnership between four friends who bought the historic eight-acre George Beldon Crane Vineyard in south St. Helena in 2012. The owners have records indicating that G.B. Crane planted grapes on the site in 1885, planting a mix of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan and others. Four vineyard acres are Crane’s original plantings, making the vines some of the oldest in region. Two of the owners are winemakers Dave Phinney and Kevin Fox. Phinney is the tradition-defying winemaker/entrepreneur behind Orin Swift Cellars and The Prisoner, and Fox worked as an assistant winemaker to Phinney. Today Fox makes the G.B. Crane wines, which are generally Cabernet Sauvignon blends or blends of Zinfandel, Charbono, Grenache and other deep red grapes. Such non-Cabernet based blends are referred to as “field blends” or “mixed blacks,” and they harken back to 19th California winemaking, when field blends were common. G.B. Crane wines have earned high compliments from reviewers and are generally available only through a mailing list.

Dr. Crane Vineyard was originally planted in 1858 by Napa Valley pioneer Dr. George Belden Crane. It was acquired by Beckstoffer Vineyards in 1997. Located in the city of St. Helena, the 25-acre vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Beckstoffer Vineyards owns and farms more than 3,600 acres of highly prestigious grape growing vineyards in Napa Valley, Mendocino County and the Red Hills of Lake County. A senior executive with Heublein in the 1960s, Andy Beckstoffer is credited with steering Napa Valley vintners towards improving farming and the quality of the grapes used for wine. Grapes from any Beckstoffer vineyards are considered among the finest available in California.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.