Winemaker Notes
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, 2% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From obviously purchased grapes, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon looks like dark pen ink, has that inimitable and compelling aromatic expression that the To Kalon Vineyard seems to offer up – graphite, blueberry, blackberry, cassis, fruitcake and spice. With incredibly rich blue fruits, black fruits, a full body, opulent, voluptuously textured and sensational, the wine still tastes like a barrel sample, but even at that, I found it nearly impossible to spit out. This is a killer effort, a magnificent wine with a potential three-digit score with a few more years of bottle age.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.