“The star of the show at Krutz Family is the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard.” – Jeb Dunnuck

A vineyard that commands $150 per bottle that is, MINIMUM, on most days.

But it’s not most days. It’s Thursday at Wine Spies. And like every day here, the laws of retail wine pricing simply disintegrate inside our protected bubble around HQ.

When we last sold the Krutz BGIII, it was priced at $99. Today, we’re taking this ‘23 (a vintage described as “the best in a lifetime”) MUCH lower. Just $55 gets you a bottle of this rockstar Cab grown from “the best Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the Valley,” according to Krutz.

Beckstoffer’s Georges III Vineyard was established by Georges de Latour (of Beaulieu Vineyards fame) in 1928. And soon tended by none other than the legendary André Tchelistcheff. Today, the famous site in Rutherford is a breeding ground for some of the world’s best names, like Schrader, Purlieu, Myriad, along with a few select others. And the prices routinely soar well above $200 into the $600+ realm.

At Krutz, they do all the right things. Hand-picked fruit from exceptional vineyards. Gravity-fed, free-run-only juice is the game here - no hard press, just the absolute best. They use the expensive oak - 90% new Taransaud wraps it in that sweet, toasty, luxurious spice and mouthfeel we love. This no-expense-spared approach routinely rewards Krutz with well-deserved scores, and this vintage is no exception.

This shows off a classic, deeply endowed, and structured style of Napa Cabernet. Round, creamy, and brimming with dark black fruit, minerality, and sturdy tannins. Dark black and red fruit. Scrooge McDuck-type richness on display here. We’re talking dark cocoa-dusted cherries, warm blueberry jam. Violets and crème de cassis! Sandalwood, fresh pipe tobacco, and vanilla bean. Complex as heck, just a massive display of opulent fruit with fine tannins and a lengthy finish.

Just to reiterate, this is a GIII - delegated by Wine & Spirits as one of the “Most Important California Vineyards All Wine Lovers Need to Know.” because they wrote “It takes a lot of expertise and ingenuity to concoct the definitive Cabernet, but to keep the quality going strong over generations like Georges III has - that’s a whole other thing. Getting your hands on bottles of George III typically means breaking the bank.”

Today – while it lasts – you don’t have to!

95 Points – The Wine Palate “The 2023 Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep garnet-purple color, slowly emerging from the glass with notes of crushed black and red currants and black raspberries, plus nuances of cedar, dried mint, crushed rocks, and mossy tree bark. The full-bodied palate is packed with bright black fruit layers, supported by grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and minerally. Drink 2027-2044.”