Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Fait-Main – Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2023
St. Helena – Napa Valley – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the iconic Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard in St. Helena. Crafted by Benoît Touquette (Fait-Main), this 2023 vintage is a powerful yet precise expression of Napa Valley Cabernet, emphasizing vineyard character, concentration, and structural integrity. Las Piedras’ rocky soils and warm site deliver intensity, while Touquette’s restrained hand preserves balance and clarity.

Aromas & Flavors
Dense and focused aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry compote, and ripe plum lead the nose. The palate follows with layers of dark cherry, cassis, graphite, crushed stone, and subtle espresso. Secondary notes of cocoa, cedar, and sweet spice emerge with air, adding depth without overshadowing the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and commanding, with firm, muscular tannins that give the wine its signature “bite.” The texture is polished but unapologetically powerful, carrying weight and concentration through a long, structured finish. This is a Cabernet built for longevity rather than immediacy.

Food Pairings
Grilled or dry-aged beef, lamb chops, braised short ribs, or mushroom-driven dishes. Also excellent with hearty, umami-rich preparations that can stand up to the wine’s structure.

Verdict
A serious, no-compromise Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Concentrated, structured, and expressive of both site and winemaker. This is not a casual pour, it’s a wine that demands attention and rewards patience.

Did You Know?
Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard is known for its rocky, iron-rich soils, which naturally limit vigor and contribute to the wine’s intense structure, minerality, and age-worthy tannins.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This wine has punch and precision. Dark, deep, and unapologetically bold, with a real bite that reminds you that you’re drinking something special. A standout Cabernet that shows why Las Piedras and Touquette are such a formidable combination. — 2 days ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

Mine went through a secondary fermentation which was distracting but wore off after a few days and didn’t seem to affect the integrity.

Smells like muted cherry cola and raspberry syrup. Pronounced flavors - high acid peppered cherries. — 5 years ago

Brett Foskett

9.1

Bubbles in my tummy. Mm mm goody. — 2 months ago

Al Doyle

9.4

0 out of 10 on statesmanship, honesty, integrity, humanity.
Great champagne tho. — 3 years ago

Carter White

8.9

Still has integrity, despite its age, but secondary/tertiary flavors dominate. There’s some dried red fruit, but lots of olive, wild herbs, green pepper. Very brambly. Well done, but not my jam. — 4 years ago

J. Kim

9.0

Surely one of the finest Cabernet made in California in terms of the aromatic complexity, but one can find better wines for less from Bordeaux. There is not enough mineral tension force one gets from the top domaines in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone. Everything from Mount Eden is imbued with innate sense of integrity and equilibrium. — 5 years ago

David Kline

9.4

Black cherry, raspberry, wet earth and mushrooms, with chestnut, pecan and plum. Tart cherry and ripe red cherry meet dried black cherry, lavender, and rose petal, sweet cranberry, dried raspberry, smoke and cola. Generous Pinot from older vines, that exhibits structure and integrity. Iconic.

#stoller #stollerreserve #stollerpinotnoir #pinotnoir #dundeehills #dundee #oregonpinot #pn #stollerfamilyestate — 2 years ago

with Courtney

Aloke Mukherjee

9.0

Todd & Kavita 12/19/2021 — 4 years ago

Nick Damiano

9.7

Cassis, raspberry, long finish, super interesting — 4 years ago

Brett Wise

9.3

Enjoyed this while saying farewell to a friend moving to the East Coast. Integrity, brightness, full of life. Side note - my 100th wine rating!! — 5 years ago