Winemaker Notes
Opening to an inky hue of deep purple, the 2018 Macauley Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has a magical feel to it, as if you’ve just uncorked an enological genie in a bottle. Sourced from clones 337 and 4 and aged for 28 months in new Taransaud and Darnajou oak, this vintage of their most sought-after wine has an elegance and seamlessness to it that flirts with perfection. Blueberry, crème de cassis, violets, dried cherries and chocolate levitate from the bouquet, while the mouthfeel lays out a magic carpet of dark fruit, espresso, and barrel vanillin. Cellared correctly, this lovely cru should hold for 20 to 25 years.
Blend: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesFeatures a loamy hint that guides a core of gently steeped plum and black currant fruit, slowly allowing alder, cedar and tobacco to work their way in before taking an encore on the finish.
In the late summer of 2000, Ann’s son Mac went to work for Rudd Estate in Oakville. After several months of winery work and education he was inspired to revive the family label, and, working with winemaker and childhood friend Kirk Venge, crushed his first grapes in October 2001.
Mac and Kirk have one goal: to source the highest quality fruit in Napa Valley and make wines of extraordinary depth and personality. The grapes they choose showcase the terroir of the vineyards and create a remarkable wine-drinking experience.
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.