Winemaker Notes
The original To Kalon Vineyard dates back to the late 1860’s and is fabled in the history of Napa Valley grape-growing. Named for the Greek translation of “the highest beauty,” today the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard consistently produces round, rich fruit. In 2013, the epic growing conditions surpassed those of 2012, offering grapes that were even more dense and concentrated, with optimum ripeness and flavor expression. Harvested in the pre-dawn hours of September 30, the grapes were brought to the winery cold. The clusters were de-stemmed into stainless steel tanks for a 24-hour cold soak prior to starting fermentation. The fruit was fermented for two weeks, pressed and then aged in 85% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels. After aging for 22 months, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered prior to cellaring for an additional 15 months.
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
A committed partnership of friends, family and community has come together to form Knights Bridge Winery & Vineyards. They bring their considerable resources and talents to this venture, where they have created a solid foundation for the future.
Knights Bridge was founded by friends who are united in their quest for excellence, their deep respect for nature and their abiding love of wine and food. Their passion to share the bounty of the land they love so much led them to create this special place where family and friends can gather around the table to celebrate the richness of life.
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.
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.