Justice and New Frontier Wine Company estate spotlight
Philippe Melka walks through grape sorting during the 2018 Napa harvest—the same vintage behind this tiny-production Dr. Crane Cabernet Franc.
96-Point Dr. Crane Cabernet Franc for $140
2018 Frontier Justice Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Franc
This is Cabernet Franc from one of St. Helena’s most celebrated vineyard addresses, made by Philippe Melka, Maayan Koschitzky and Matt Sands in a documented production of just 200 cases. Jeb Dunnuck’s 96-point review highlights its chocolate, baking spice, floral blue fruit, balance and fine tannins. The official New Frontier catalog carried a $225 suggested retail reference; our one-bottle allocation is $140.
38% price advantage
Four reasons collectors stop for Frontier Justice
Cabernet Franc is the rarest angle here; the vineyard, winemaking team and unusually strong price complete the case.
Cabernet Franc from Dr. Crane
The site is renowned for powerful Bordeaux varieties, yet Frontier Justice gives Cabernet Franc center stage from the western hills of St. Helena.
A formidable winemaking team
Philippe Melka, Maayan Koschitzky and Matt Sands combine vineyard precision with the polish expected from elite Napa Cabernet.
Power held in balance
Blue and black fruit, chocolate and spice arrive with the fine tannins and freshness that keep this 15.9% wine composed.
A meaningful price break
The supplied official catalog reference is $225. At $140, the difference is $85 per bottle without requiring a multi-bottle commitment.
The one-bottle opportunity
- Open: decant for a long dinner built around beef, rosemary and deeply browned flavors.
- Cellar: Dunnuck’s 2021 review pointed to another 15–20 years of graceful evolution.
- Gift: a vineyard-designated Napa Cabernet Franc with the names and scores collectors recognize.
Two critics, one clear message
The lead review prizes balance and longevity; the supporting review adds the wine’s earthy, mineral Cabernet Franc character.
A $225 suggested retail reference, offered at $140
One exact unit throughout: every price, bar and savings figure below is per bottle.
New Frontier’s 2022 catalog lists the 2018/19 Justice Frontier Justice Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet Franc at a $225 suggested retail price. ShopWineSlash is $140 per bottle, a difference of $85 or 38%.
Review the official catalog and suggested retail table (official catalog PDF opens in a new tab) or the exact-vintage producer sheet (producer sheet PDF opens in a new tab).
The practical advantage is access: one bottle secures the vineyard, score and winemaking pedigree without a six- or twelve-bottle commitment.
Stays in your pocket per bottle versus the supplied $225 suggested retail reference.
Add this bottle now; carrier-rate shipping applies below 12 bottles, and any mixed 12-bottle cart ships free.
Secure Your AllocationBlue fruit, savory herbs and serious structure
Frontier Justice carries Napa richness, but its Cabernet Franc identity keeps the wine aromatic, savory and distinctly mineral.
Abundant winter rain led into a mild growing season with cooler marine influence and few major heat spikes. Extended fall sunshine allowed gradual flavor development, a vintage pattern that suits this wine’s ripe fruit, freshness and fine tannins. Source: New Frontier 2018 Napa Valley vintage report (official catalog PDF opens in a new tab)
Crème de cassis, wild blackberry and blueberry, with a supple line of red fruit underneath.
Full-bodied and concentrated, yet carried by fine tannins, freshness and a long, composed finish.
Fresh tarragon, dried herbs, black olive, tobacco and crushed-rock minerality.
Dark chocolate, baking spice, spiced mocha and vanilla from 20 months in French oak.
Pour at 60–65°F with braised beef, prime ribeye or another deeply savory centerpiece.
Give the wine 60–90 minutes so its floral notes and Cabernet Franc detail can rise through the power.
Blue fruit, chocolate and spice are vivid; a decant smooths the wine’s broad shoulders.
Oak, fruit and savory tones should knit into a more seamless, complex whole.
Dunnuck’s 2021 guidance supports a long evolution toward softer tannins and secondary nuance.
Dark fruit, chocolate and new-oak spice lead, framed by bold but fine tannins.
Violet, blue fruit and tarragon become more distinct as the mid-palate relaxes.
Tobacco, cocoa, black olive and mineral tones lengthen the savory finish.
Cabernet Franc precision, Napa scale
The 2018 bottling combines a historic St. Helena site with detailed selection and a deliberately luxurious French-oak program.
The site: Dr. Crane sits at the base of St. Helena’s western hills. Alluvial soils, crushed volcanic rock and full Napa sunlight give the fruit both muscularity and mineral definition.
The blend: The producer bottling sheet records 77% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot, harvested October 6–14 and fermented in stainless steel.
The cellar: Philippe Melka, Maayan Koschitzky and Matt Sands aged the wine for 20 months in French oak, 75% new, before bottling in June 2020. Final production was 200 cases.
Technical facts: 2018 producer bottling sheet (producer technical sheet PDF opens in a new tab).
Justice, New Frontier and a Napa landmark
The bottle connects Alejandro Bulgheroni’s ambitious wine portfolio with one of Beckstoffer’s most storied St. Helena vineyards.
New Frontier Wine Company brings together Alejandro Bulgheroni’s vineyard investments with an international roster of winemakers and singular sites. The portfolio’s ambition is visible in its choice of names: Philippe Melka, Maayan Koschitzky, Matt Sands and vineyards such as Dr. Crane, To Kalon, Las Piedras and Georges III.
Justice began in 2003 as the group’s move into high-end, single-vineyard Napa Cabernet. Its long relationship with Beckstoffer Vineyards created access to sites that express very different corners of the valley. Frontier Justice is the Cabernet Franc member of that family, built to show why the variety deserves the same collector attention as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Dr. George Belden Crane first planted the vineyard in 1858. Beckstoffer acquired it in 1997 and replanted the gravelly loam in 1998 to Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. At the base of St. Helena’s western hills, the site gives this wine its combination of sunlit richness, crushed-rock character and firm mineral structure.
Estate and vineyard history: New Frontier Wine Company catalog (official catalog PDF opens in a new tab).
Give the wine fire, fat and a long dinner
Cabernet Franc’s savory herbs and mineral edge make this powerful Napa red especially good with browned beef, rosemary, garlic and slow-cooked sauces.
You do not need a complicated pairing plan: choose a deeply browned beef dish, keep a little herbal lift on the plate, and let the wine’s fruit and tannin do the rest.
Serve at 60–65°F and decant 60–90 minutes. A large glass gives the violet, tarragon and blue-fruit notes room to emerge.
Red-Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta
Slow braising echoes the wine’s dark fruit, cocoa and tobacco tones, while creamy polenta softens the tannic grip.
Why it works: Rich collagen meets full body; rosemary and the wine’s tarragon-like savoriness keep the pairing lifted.
View Recipe for red-wine-braised short ribs with creamy polenta (opens in a new tab)
Tomahawk Ribeye with Garlic, Rosemary & Butter
A hard sear and butter baste answer the wine’s scale, while garlic and rosemary mirror its savory, spicy register.
Why it works: Ribeye fat polishes Cabernet Franc’s tannins; char intensifies its mineral, cocoa and tobacco finish.
View Recipe for tomahawk ribeye with garlic, rosemary and butter (opens in a new tab)For the Cabernet Franc collector who wants the real thing
Dr. Crane pedigree, a 96-point lead review, a Philippe Melka-led team and just 200 cases make this a bottle with substance behind every headline.
Decant it, put beef and rosemary on the table, and let the wine move from blue-fruited power to savory detail.
Fine tannins and the 2021 review’s 15–20-year guidance support a patient place in the cellar.
The $140 offer sits 38% below the supplied $225 suggested retail reference.
One bottle • $140 total. A rare single-vineyard Napa Cabernet Franc without a case commitment.
