Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wonderful subtlety and beauty here, offering currants, blackberries and terracotta. Solid tannin backbone with intensity and length. It pulls you in and talks to you at every level. You want to drink it now, but four to five years’ aging will bring its rewards. Try after 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard slides seductively out of the glass with the most gorgeous notions of Chinese five spice, plum preserves, crème de cassis and potpourri plus hints of oolong tea, spearmint and cedar chest. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and oh-so-decadent in the mouth, the generously spiced black fruit preserves, the firm, plush frame and the finish are simply epic.
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Wine Spectator
Juicy and focused, with friendly flavors of cassis, cherry preserves and blackberry pie, framed by a modest dose of roasted apple wood. Light spice and licorice accents add to the finish, where an echo of loam passes through. The fruit makes this seem approachable despite some seriously sneaky depth and length.
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.