"It’s not often that I employ the word delightful to describe a cabernet sauvignon wine — like, never! — but the Beckstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, from Washington state’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA, is so fresh, clean and sprightly that it’s irresistible. The color is a pure and wholly transparent ruby-magenta hue; aromas of raspberries and loganberries are highlighted with notes of heather, cedar and ground cumin, with a few moments in the glass unfurling sly and wild, musky and dusty elements — there’s a touch of honed flint and graphite; the wine is quite dry but juicy, lively and engaging to the palate; black and blue fruit flavors feel lithe and winsome, a bit feral though nominally tamed by moderate tannins and just a touch of spicy French and American oak. At 13.7 percent alcohol, it’s eminently drinkable, also, as it happens, vegan-friendly. Production was 1,500 cases. I rate it Excellent, especially for its lovely individuality. At about $20, you could reasonably make it your house red for the next year or so. - Fredric KOEPPEL"
- Bigger than Your Head (December 15th 2022), EXCELLENT