2019 Memento Mori Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (4) Avg Score: 97.5 points

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  1/16/2023 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Blind tasting of 19 Realm Dr Crane, 19 Myriad Elysian, 19 Memento Mori Crane and 19 Schrader Heritage. All Crane except for the Schrader. These were double decanted and consumed over a 10 hour period.
  
  Initial impression after about 4 hours of air had Elysian in the lead, followed closely by Memento Mori with Realm next and Schrader last. The Elysian and Realm were the most similar (surprisingly), with both displaying chalky tannins and deep concentration along with the vanilla and oak most typically seen in the Mike Smith wines. The Elysian had a more expressive nose and a longer finish, which gave it the edge. Meanwhile, the MM had excellent acidity and lift, with a stronger tannin profile and slightly less body. The Schrader was most similar to the MM, but had redder fruit, less concentration and while elegant, overall was a bit more forgettable.
  
  By hour 10 things had changed quite a bit. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Realm developed a gorgeous nose, tons of energy and a super long finish, while the Elysian started to recede, shortening up on the finish and not developing with more time. The MM kept integrating and getting better, with a great mix of elegance, energy and sophistication. The Schrader also improved in a similar way to the MM, just with a redder profile and less body, which again made it less interesting to me.
  
  The takeaways here are pretty consistent with my view of these producers/wine makers and the source. The Realm ended up the best of the bunch, but it will hit you with oak, vanilla etc and can come across heavy handed at times. While it's not as over the top of Elysian, and certainly comes with better development than most from this site, you probably don't need to pour it for your French wine loving buddies. I've been buying this wine since 2012 and it has literally never lost a Crane blind, despite running it in about 10 of them over the years.
  
  The Elysian is typical of Mike Smith's style. Hard to ever beat his wines young, as they start amazingly gorgeous and expressive, with pure fruit that is super hedonistic. The downside is in my experience, they top out young, and don't have the complexity or balance to age well. They are a wine to drink in the first few years and think of as dessert in a bottle.
  
  Both the MM and Schrader are elegant, with a style that probably appeals to a larger crowd. They aren't stuffed with massive concentration, but they are more seamless, have less overt vanilla and oak, and display crisper acidity. I prefer the MM, not just because it was Crane vs TK here, but because the profile is darker and I think Sam gets more concentration out of the wine. I'd bet on these aging the best of the bunch.
  
  One thing I will note is I do think especially for Dr. Crane, these are wines to drink young. In my experience, they don't really age super well and once you get past the unreal purity of fruit, the rest becomes less interesting, and you are just getting a sharper wine with less going on.

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  10/29/2021 - tbabes wrote: 99 Points

  At the Memento Mori tasting room, hosted by Genevieve. A monumental wine; with an incredible amount of fruit, but perfectly balanced and fresh. This had been opened for several days and then stored at cellar temperature, but was still vibrant and firing on all cylinders. Impressive purple core, turning to deep garnet at the rim. Notes of blueberry, currants, rose petals, gravel and crushed stones, with hints of bramble and loamy earth. Medium to full bodied, ripe tannins, good structure, layers of flavor, but with perfect balance and depth. Round and silky texture. The finish was long, savory and focused; refreshing and pure. An incredible expression of Dr. Crane!

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  4/30/2021 - csimm wrote: 96 Points

  3 days in Napa: Arkenstone, Memento Mori, Maxem, The French Laundry, Christopher Tynan, Kinsman, Harlan, Vice Versa, Accendo, Fairchild, Macdonald, and a truckload of others (Napa): A barrel sample, and one that is all about yummy Crane goodness. If you’re a fan of this site, then this will not disappoint. Flamboyant and chewy-sweet fruit wash over the palate with notes of saturated black raspberry, black cherry liqueur, plum, and an intense floral element that instantly lifts the entire profile. Like the other Memento Mori barrel samples, this shows a decent hit of power and dominance on the palate. With this Crane specifically, the ripe fruit does well to absorb that sheer authority here and keeps the force in check. Gorgeous potency and vigor. 96+ points.

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  4/22/2021 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 98 Points

  Barrel sample. Definitely a bit more over the top on the fruity goodness than the MM Blend or MM LPV, this shows impeccable purity and way more blue fruit character. Black cherry, blueberry pie and huge floral is the hallmark of Crane and it's very present in this edition. The silky mouthfeel, awesome freshness and massive depth and concentration can't help but make you smile. Not for the faint of heart and not what I would call a BDX lovers wine, but thankfully Sam gives it balance and it has the structure to age and get better for at least a decade or two. Like with the LPV, seems like a blend of 12 and 16 vintages. 97-99+

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