Myriad Cellars Beckstoffer Georges III Empyrean 2021

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Empyrean is cut from the same cloth yet has just a touch more of everything compared to the classic release. Coming all from the A3 Block, it has incredible red and blue fruits that give way to more spring flower, tobacco, and crushed stone-like minerality. Full-bodied, concentrated, yet as seamless and elegant as they come, with incredible tannins as well as purity of fruit, this beauty deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 20-25 years if well stored. There are 225 cases produced.

In the end, I had a slight preference for the blended Georges III over the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Empyrean, which emanates primarily from a single block of the vineyard (A3). Scents of licorice, black cherries and cassis define the awesome nose, while the full-bodied palate is plush and creamy, with a long, velvety finish. Both are truly compelling wines from a vineyard that seems to be improving over the past few years.