In the outskirts of St. Helena lies one of Napa’s most celebrated vineyard sites. Today, we explore a decade of Realm Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane, the vineyard that put us on the map and continues to define our commitment to expressing the unique character of Napa's greatest terroirs.

What makes Dr. Crane so distinctive? Our vertical tasting reveals wines that possess a rare combination of power and elegance. These wines are fruit-forward without being over the top, complex while still charming, concentrated without being heavy. These is an effortless harmony that makes these wines immediately recognizable and endlessly appealing.

Tasting date: April 15, 2025

2012: The Wine That Started It All
Distinct notes of blue fruit and minerality that are hallmarks of this site, with developing aromas of leather, dry autumn leaves, and cigar box. While showing some signs of aging, the wine is texturally holding up beautifully—sleek, velvety, with plenty of density remaining. This wine put Realm on the map when we were a fledging startup. Drink now and appreciate its graceful evolution and the beginning of the Realm journey.

2013: Elegant and Polished
Delicious aromas of blackberry compote, roasted strawberries and baking spices mingle with hints of earthiness and tobacco. This wine is elegant and polished while at the same time showing beautiful richness and concentration. Ready to drink and thoroughly enjoyable.

2014: Intriguing Aromatic Profile
Still bright and juicy, this wine showcases the hallmarks of Beckstoffer Dr. Crane: blue fruit, minerality, and graphite. Notes of cassis, exotic spices and tobacco leaf add to the intriguing aromatic profile. Elegant and complex with plenty of structure to support further aging. Drink or hold—this wine could continue gaining layers and softening with additional age.

2015: Solar Vintage Charm
Juicy, ripe fruit mingles with notes of caramel, chocolate, cigar box, and cinnamon. Concentrated and sleek, this is a forward-leaning wine that is in a beautiful spot. Drink now to capture the charm of this solar vintage.

2016: A Crowd Pleaser
Decadent aromas explode from the glass—strawberry, cherry, plum, and blueberry cheesecake mingled with cassis and lavender. This is a textbook Dr. Crane with a round, creamy entry leading to great concentration on the palate, followed by a long finish. Showing tremendous vitality, this wine is exactly where you want it right now—very drinkable and undeniably crowd-pleasing. Drink or hold. You can’t go wrong.

2017: Beyond the Vintage
This wine handled the heat of the vintage beautifully, resulting in a vibrant and fresh expression with aromas of bright cherry and strawberry jam with hints of fresh herbs. Layered with good acidity and energy, this is a slightly leaner wine that maintains beautiful concentration and elegance. A testament to both site and winemaking. Drink and hold with confidence.

2018: Youthful Powerhouse
Gorgeous but still very young, showing beautiful dark fruit and baking spices with graphite undertones. Compact, rich, dense, structured, and powerful. This is a powerhouse wine that will reward the patient collector.

2019: Everything You Want
This young wine has everything you want from Dr. Crane. Gorgeous fruit, creamy and dense, complex and layered. This wine still has a lot of baby fat. Drink now if you want immediate pleasure or hold if you have the patience.

2020 Vintage
We did not produce any red wines in 2020.

2021: Beautiful Contradictions
Stunning fruit and graphite create an immediately appealing profile. Velvety, dense, and concentrated, this wine is full of beautiful contradictions—big but chiseled, powerful yet elegant. Surprisingly expressive for its youth, suggesting great things ahead as it continues to evolve.

2022: Precise and Inviting
Bright, juicy, lively, and perfumed with great energy radiating from the glass. Blue, red, and black fruit combine in an open-knit wine enhanced by violet, spice, and vanilla notes. Everything feels precise and in its proper place. Slightly leaner, this elegant wine is immediately inviting.

2023: Grace and Gravitas
Blue fruit, wet rock, and pencil shavings over fine-grained tannins. Dense yet elegant, with the energy and depth to go the distance.

To learn more about the label artwork, visit Beckstoffer Dr. Crane: Behind the Label, click here.