Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon The O.G. is clearly a 25- to 30-year wine. This is profound wine, opulent with loads of spice, pen ink, blackberry and cassis, forward aromatics with floral notes and forest floor. The wine has stunning concentration and a mouth-filling, savory, unctuosity. This is great stuff and delicious already. About 223 cases were made and it finished at 14.9% natural alcohol – about the same as the other wines.
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Tasting Panel
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard The O.G. is the wine where everything comes together. The fruit is ripe, but not too ripe. There is plenty of intensity and richness in the glass, but all the elements fall into place effortlessly. On the palate, the O.G. is sensual, silky and voluptuous, with all the best attributes of this famous site front and center. Crème de cassis, lavender and licorice are some of the many notes that build in the glass in this fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon. The O.G. captures the best of Mark Carter's style.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.