Sol Rouge Vineyard and Winery

Considering the pedigree of this wine – 40 percent of the grapes are from Andy Beckstoffer’s famed To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville and 60 percent are from Beckstoffer’s Dr. Crane Vineyard east of St. Helena – Sol Rouge is off to an auspicious start.

Although it’s located in the Red Hills of Lake County, winemaker Bryan Kane went to the Napa Valley and to Beckstoffer for his Cabernet Sauvignon. What Kane has here is a wine that is a bit closed, but showing some sweet blackberry. It’s warm in the mouth (if not a bit hot) with delicious big blackberry flavors. The wine, as one would imagine, is very young but with good balance and a long finish. Hold it for two years and then drink over the next dozen.

The Dr. Crane Vineyard is 25 acres of Cabernet, which was once owned by Beaulieu. Beckstoffer, without too much hyperbole, calls this vineyard “a coming star because of the fruit quality.” (But) he admits, “It doesn’t have the pedigree of To Kalon …”

The stated alcohol is 14.7 percent, the wine was aged for two years in half new French barrels, and there were but 50 cases produced.

Reviewed February 21, 2008 by Alan Goldfarb.