Calistoga is the northernmost appellation of the Napa Valley, and as such, boasts some of the most stunning topography in this famed region. This special sub-AVA claims the largest diurnal swing—the most drastic temperature changes from day to night—in the entire valley. How does this benefit the grapes? Simple: After a full day of soaking up the sun and building up phenolic ripeness, a cooler night acts as a “relaxation period” for the grapes, resulting in better acid retention. Next, you have to factor in the classic terroir: With undulating forest land and striking rock formations, Calistoga is blessed with volcanic strata, alluvial fans, and sedimentary rock that lends unique minerality and serious concentration of flavor in the final wine—but only if you have a skilled craftsman at the winemaking helm. Enter Corey Beck. As you’ll learn below, the man knows his Cabernet.

Born in raised in the very town this wine was sourced from, Corey’s childhood consisted of working and learning amongst the vines of Château Montelena. How did a local teen land such a sweet gig? His grandfather was the vineyard manager! Unsurprisingly, the wine bug clamped down hard. Corey began steering his studies towards wine and that culminated with a Fermentation Science degree from UC Davis in 1994. Soon after graduation, he returned to Château Montelena and was hired on as their Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Master. Today, he has his hands in quite a few pots, and C. Beck is, or was, the smallest one. 

Beautifully ripe, extra-plump Cabernet grapes were harvested in 2015, a year that Antonio Galloni’s Vinous called “...a vintage of opulent, voluptuous wines with real personality and character.” There is no doubt in my mind that 2015 will be recorded as an all-time great. Corey’s small crop was hand-picked and subjected to a slow fermentation with lengthy skin contact in the winery. The resulting wine then saw just under two years of aging in 50% new French barrels. After bottling, Corey allowed the wine to rest for one additional year before releasing it to the public. Framed by suppleness, plushy layers of alluring dark fruit, and intense, atomized volcanic minerality, this screams precision and class. You’ll discover super-concentrated crème de cassis, black raspberry liqueur, high-toned black cherry, and black plums along with tobacco,  raw leather, baking spices, cedar, baked earth, and crushed stones. All this, mind you for a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that weighs in under 14% alcohol—talk about your complete mastery of balance! As we learned with the previous vintage, C. Beck provides an amazing experience right now, but will gracefully age over the next decade. If serving soon, decant for 30-60 minutes before enjoying in large Bordeaux stems. We may be losing one of our favorite value Cabs, but at least we had it to begin with. Make your last bottles count!