Quivet Cellars, Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Aromas of luscious blue fruits intertwine with whispers of dusty earth, presenting a wine that exhibits minimal herbal nuances. Full-bodied and richly textured, it offers a supple drinking experience without sacrificing complexity. The finish is refined and enduring, making this an impressive offering.

2015 vintage

Decanted for one hour. In a really good spot right now. Wish I had more.

2015 vintage

What a delight. Decanted for a little over one hour. Dark inky hue. Light chocolate nose. Beautiful, silky, mouthfeel with light blueberry and crème de cassis. Winner.

2015 vintage

Superb, a first-rate Cabernet. Slow-Ox over 24 hours. Deep Purple black color with a pleasant floral nose. Near perfect extraction of dark berry fruits black, blueberry fruit, cassis, dark cherry in adorable proportions. Full bodied and a delight to drink, perhaps a near perfect drinking window?

2015 vintage

Same experience…. Good not great….certainly not memorable…… Over hyped..

2015 vintage

Excellent wine that is showing well and pretty much like it has in previous notes, maybe a tad less energy this stage. Nice aromas, ripe dark berry fruits, good extraction, flavors, and nice balance. 95+ Points.

2015 vintage

Lush nose…. Very good cali cab flavors but neither the nose nor the flavor was a wow.:. It was very good wine but not one you would remember in the context of an expensive $125 Cabernet… I have had many at 1/2 the price that were just as good.. bad QPR unfortunately… Not sure the supposed reputation of the maker is living up to the hype

2015 vintage

Opened the bottle at Rustic Canyon restaurant. Started out super mellow and rustic damp nose. Give 30 minutes to open deep, dark cocoa, bold black fruit. Balanced minerals on the pallet. Decadent nose opens of structure and tame casis. The slightest of peppers on the steak exaggerates a spicy profile to the wine in which I do not like. Two days later it held up very well albeit the nose is gone. Awesome Las Piedras representation. 95.5 now: 96-97 in …

2015 vintage

Now we're talking'! This was a "wow" wine with an amazing nose and palate. Took only about 30-60 minutes in the decanter to blossom and continued to improve in the glass. The body and mouthfeel were terrific but the cornucopia of flavors and the long complex finish were great. There was smooth dark chocolate, mocha, spice, earthiness -- all accented by dark red fruit and fine minerality. Beautiful stuff. Unreal QPR.

2015 vintage

This wine is holding up nicely. On initial PnP, it was a little rustic and I was a little worried. After a 3 hour decant, it was singing. Very glad that I learned about decanting! Dark purple and red in the glass, the fruit is still there. Lots of tension, perfect amount of acidity and typical Las Piedras mineral/stone and earth notes mid-palate and on the long finish. I have 1/3 of a bottle left for tonight and I am …

2015 vintage

Second of two bottles. Had the first in 2015 and thought it was good, but maybe not worth the extra $$ over the other Quivets. This time? Wow. Simply an amazing wine, and maybe be best LPV I have had from any producer. Velvety smooth, fine tannins, a finish that lasted forever. Seems like it is in a perfect spot.

2012 vintage

another great bottle, unfortunately my last 2015. It was clearly the WOTN and loved by everyone. It is hard to imagine a better cab, balanced, smooth, dark fruits, it is in a great place now.

2015 vintage

Revisited after several years and the wine is holding up really well. Just read my prior tasting notes and/or others -- they are all pretty much spot on. I am not sure whether Mike Smith wines have longevity; however this shows that it does.

2015 vintage

My last bottle. A wow wine! The wine is still really big with great oak integration through the fruit. Nice chocolate undertone . If you have some in your cellar this will continue to evolve.

2012 vintage

Recent one off purchase ($118.99) from the big box winestore. Small taste, then 45 mins-hour of air. On the nose and palate, blueberry pie, blackberry liquer, mixed dark berry compote, plums, black cherries, prunes and raisins, black currants, cassis, anise, vanilla, oak and a bit of a boozy note on the end. Almost midnight black, medium to full-bodied, thick legs. Bereft of acidity, medium tannins, no heat. Medium complexity, very persistent and intense. This bottling presents a dialectic for sfwl: …

2015 vintage

hold

2015 vintage

maybe the best Cab I have ever had, and Brad agreed 100% with my impression. First, the nose on this wine was explosive, the strongest I can ever remember. It was almost over whelming and you could just enjoy the nose w/o drinking. Vibrant, red fruit, blackberry, in perfect balance and so long and delicious, just a fabulous bottle. Fortunately I have 1 more 15 and several 16's and 17's.

2015 vintage

Fabulous, 96+/- Points. Day one with no decant.

2015 vintage

This is a big, powerful wine. I opens with a nice unobtrusive level of dark fruit--currant, blueberry. Then there is some steeliness, or, maybe, graphite, followed by some dustiness, Then, the tannin hits--very serious tannin, I am enjoying this wine, right now, but there is sufficient acid here to predict that several more years of storage will provide terrific dividends to the patient collector,

2012 vintage

Fathers Day wine which we paired with filet mignon. Dusty dark fruit with some sediment. Wife loved it. I’ve moved on to Bdx so I’m not a fan of the style anymore, but it’s a very nice Napa and drinking well.

2012 vintage

Almost four years have past since I last took a shot at this wine (my tasting note on 7/3/16 is vastly different than my experience today). Patience has paid off for sure, as this once spun-up purple palate eater has since developed into a beautifully smooth and deep crimson and black fruited specimen. Dark plum, blackberry cobbler, black raspberry, wild boysenberry, dried cranberry, subtle cassis, river rock, and faint hits of garrigue, graphite, violets, and forest floor. This needed about …

2012 vintage

This is a high caliber wine that is absolutely delicious. I won’t score it as high as l did when l tried it the first few times, but it is a very good wine. As mentioned in my previous posting, deep dark purple/ crimson color with beautiful legs, some viscosity, and a nice meniscus. Also an appealing bouquet of lavender aromas on the nose. Popped and Poured, and at first the wine showed some firm acidity, but it did progressively …

2015 vintage

This incredible wine has deepened and broadened in the three years since I tasted it last (4/17 - 93 points). The price cannot be ignored ($125!?!), but the wine speaks for itself: this has the intensity and ripeness you'd expect from a Mike Smith production, but it also has the earthy and prickly aspects, now integrated (but not too much), that give this wine incredible life and character. Bottom line, this is a stunning interpretation of LPV, easily besting some …

2012 vintage

One hour decant before drinking. It needed some air to resolve some of the tannins. After the decant, vibrant red fruit, with a 60 second finish. Really good stuff. Paired well with a Prime NY Strip.

2015 vintage

Drank beautifully over the course of a 4 hr holiday party. Excellent expression of LPV fruit and minerality and one of the best QPRs for LPV. Tasted against a ‘13 Bernard Magrez Dr. Crane and ‘16 Schrader RBS and thought this beat out both of those (at least for my palate) which were equally fantastic wines.

2015 vintage

Continue to love this wine. Went toe-to-toe with the Fait Main LPV from same vintage. My wife preferred this one; it was truly splitting hairs for me. I liked this a little better in isolation; the Fait Main a little better with the steaks we had for dinner. We ultimately drank a little more of this Quivet on Day 1. FWIW I thought the Fait Main held up better on Day 2 but both were still plenty lovely.

2015 vintage

This is still drinking quite well and has lots of years left. Same notes apply, however the vanilla notes have diminished. Very smooth, easy to drink and very well made with a nice backbone, acidity, and tannin integration. This needed a 2 hour decant and then it was ready to go.

2012 vintage

Decanted for 1hr and then poured back into bottle to take to a friend's house. The wine is dark purple on the glass with full weight appearance. The nose is very fruit forward full of dark blue/black brambly fruit, toasted oak and hints of wet stones. The wine was very smooth on entry and like the nose, very fruit forward with nice mid palate but it wasn't as round as I'm used to from this wine. The tannins were very …

2015 vintage

Shared over dinner with family - awesome wine and one of my favorites. Benefited from a bit of air, so I will likely decant my last bottle for an hour. Great rich fruit - I think its a drink now wine to not miss out on that.

2015 vintage

Big, bold, full-bodied, right up my alley. The color an extremely saturated dark purple/ black and intense with beautiful legs and meniscus. Really nice aromas on the nose. This one didn’t need much air, but it did progressively improve with time. On the pallet, dark elegantly extracted black and blueberry fruit, lavish cream de cassis, revealing exquisite fruit purity and depth. The finnish on this wine is nice and lingering. To score this wine 88 points is preposterous, even on …

2015 vintage

Pretty much pop and pour. Also had 2015 LPVs from Fait Main and Carter La Bam. The FM was favored, but this wine was #2 by a nose over the Carter. Just a little more composed, especially on the back end, than the Carter. This similarly had dark purple fruit and a tightly wound core, and would benefit from a splash decant in the near term. It did show better after being open for a couple of hours. In any …

2015 vintage

Decided to revisit in light of the 88 rating from WS - curious if James Laube's review is as ridiculous as I remembered and it is. Once again, dark purple fruit - blueberry, blackberry, and dark currants. Really smooth coupled with nice depth/concentration and beautiful purity. Full/vibrant flavors of dark berries, some spice box/licorice, and a mineral/graphite component. Long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over a couple more. Improved with time but drinking quite well after the decant. …

2015 vintage

From my favorite vineyard, one of my favorite labels, one of my favorite winemakers and certainly the best buy in Napa. My 1st taste of Quivet's first venture with Las Piedras Vineyard from 2012. I remember Mike Smith telling me that there was very little of this made, and I have been on the hunt for some bottles in the secondary market ever since. Purple, red and black in the glass, with really nice smell of red, black and blue …

2012 vintage

Good but not great, a step down in purity of fruit and concentration from other mike smith and other LPV (Benoit, vice versa/melka) wines I’ve had. A touch bitter on the finish which will fade in time. Nice balance and enjoyable just wanted a bit more from this vineyard.

2012 vintage

Spectacular! Rich and seamless, great fruit and balance and very easy to drink. If scoring 94-96.

2012 vintage

Good, but thought the equivalent myriad cabs are a step up

2012 vintage

Briefly decanted, dark, brooding, and earthy. Notes of cedar and coffee. Followed a sweet Alban Reva, so major gear shift in flavor. Drinking well now, this should power on for several more years. Nicely done.

2012 vintage

A rich, though somewhat raw, 100% Cabernet that is drinking impressively right now. Purple in color, full in body, nose of blackberry, cedar, and smoke. Tastes of boysenberry, burnt wood, and tar, with a rustic finish (i.e., tannic, chalky, prickly). 15.1% alcohol. I expect a bit more finesse from this vineyard, but this wine seems to be more powerful than charming. No doubt, this is a solid wine, but it lacks the combination of power and grace that Mike Smith …

2012 vintage

Decanted and violently swirled for two hours prior to consumption. Young, tight and showing great potential (as Miles would say). Blue and purple fruit, coconut, licorice and sweet wild flowers. Will save remaining bottles for a year or more as this needs time to come together. If scoring 93-95.

2012 vintage

Dark fruited, quite concentrated but without the expected depth. Vanilla and oak spice outstrips the fruit even after several hours of air. In an awkward phase for sure. Best to hold.

2012 vintage

Unfortunately PnP which probably cost this wine some "points" but it was a very classy Napa cab with nice complexity. Fruit was front and center in a rich, lush but not sweet wine. Pretty well balanced for its youthfulness. Fragrant but finish was not as long as hoped. Was getting better with air.

2012 vintage

Impressive! This needed a LOT of air in order for it to start opening up. Dumb at first with the nose just smelling of oak. Tannic palate and sour finish. Where's the fruit? Rough decanted. Swirled in the decanter a lot. Sat for 45 minutes in the decanter. Put back in the bottle again and then double decanted...again. Opened on the table 30 minutes later. NOW it's all there. Gorgeous. A big, rich wine, but surprisingly balanced for it's size. …

2012 vintage

Really fantastic wine. Beautiful black cherry fruit and a plush texture. Drinking really well right now with maybe an hour decant.

2012 vintage

PnP with extremely tight and restrained notes of high-toned berry and alcohol flavors. I had that "Oh G-Dammit" moment where I felt as if I had opened this bottle WAAAAY too early (which I had). I double decanted this wine for an hour and then double decanted it again, leaving it ultimately in a large-bottomed decanter at 54 degrees for approximately 3-4 hours. I then swirled the ever-livin' crap out of this in my glass throughout dinner... I felt like …

2012 vintage

Huge wine with intense flavors, big tannins and layers of flavors. Super concentrated and needs air and time but delicious

2012 vintage

Gobs of layered black fruit with coffee/mocha, earth, and vanilla liqueur. Fairly rich on the palate, medium to low acid, and a nice dusting of tannins toward the back leads to a complex and persistent finish.

2012 vintage

First time with this wine. Slow ox for an hour, then about 2 hours in the decanter. This is a big kid. Rippling backbone and dark purple fruit. Serious grip on the tannins. Long finish. This got better as it opened further . . . but we finished it in about 90 minutes. Suggest laying this guy down or allowing for a long decant. I think it will be better in 3-5 years . . . and could certainly age …

2012 vintage

Wonderful and near perfect nose of oak, vanilla, and tanned leather. Wine isn't quite as good but still wonderful. Hope more depth shows after a couple more years in the bottle.

2012 vintage

Opened Friday night, notes from Sunday. This needed all three days to fully evolve. Huge dense complex nose. Black fruit, dark chocolate, spice box, black cherry and anise. Full bodied, rich texture, grippy tannins, balanced acidity. Finishes with chocolate torte, white pepper and blackberry pie. Ho Li Fuk! What a great glass of wine. WOTY candidate for sure!

2012 vintage

Barrel sample.

2012 vintage

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Quivet Cellars, Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

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