2011 Myriad Cellars Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Myriad Cellars in St. Helena is owned and run by Mike and Leah Smith. Mike is an assistant winemaker to Thomas Brown, one of Napa’s most acclaimed winemakers. Mike also makes his own Myriad wines from grapes sourced from prominent area vineyards, including Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard and Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard. Myriad makes Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon. The wines have received ratings in the mid- to high-90s from Wine Advocate and other reviews.

Georges III Vineyard was first planted in 1895 by Napa Valley Pioneer Thomas Rutherford. In 1928 it was purchased by Beaulieu founder Georges de Latour, whose winemaker, the famous Andre Tchelistcheff, used the vineyard to make BV’s Rutherford Cabernets. The 300-acre vineyard is in Rutherford and is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. 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.