Winemaker Notes
Flavors of rich black berries and black plum, dried herb complexity, sweet oak spices, vanilla bean, and toasted almonds unfold in mesmerizing layers, sending a wave of deliciously intense complexity across the palate in a tasty expression of power and elegance.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Mesmerizing aromas of earth, violets, and fresh black and blue fruit give way to chalky tannins that dry the palate—part of that is pure youth. The acidity lifts the flavors to compensate for the tighter grip. Savory notes of soy sauce, espresso, sweet soil, and bittersweet dark chocolate rest on a praiseworthy pedestal.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a more long-term effort yet is loaded with potential. Coming all from Mondavi’s To Kalon holdings and seeing an extended maceration and 18 months in new oak, its deep purple color is followed by rocking notes of blackberries, black cherries, smoke tobacco, black licorice, and crushed rocks. With a terrific sense of minerality, subtle background oak, full body, and impeccable balance, hide bottles for 4-5 years and this beauty will cruise for 3 decades or so.
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James Suckling
This is a structured and layered red with currants, ripe berries and hints of chocolate and hazelnuts. Full body. Blueberry, chocolate and spice flavors. Shows focus and craftsmanship. Plus great vineyards. Drink in 2024, but hard not to enjoy now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Reserve opens with beautifully fragrant kirsch, wilted roses, candied violets and dried Provence herbs notes over a core of wild blueberries, red and black currants and mulberries plus wafts of tobacco leaf and cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with perfumed, crunchy black fruits framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and finishes long and earthy.
Rating: 96+ -
Wine Spectator
Solidly built, featuring a core of cassis, bitter cherry and plum reduction notes, laced up with racy savory, iron and singed cedar accents. Takes a restrained approach, showing subtle energy, but the fruit is sneakily long and the finish nicely grounded. Best from 2021 through 2032.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a hearty, bold and brawny red wine from the famous site, blended with 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Cola, sassafras, earth and leather highlight a dense core of firm tannin and toasted oak, begging for more time in the bottle. Enjoy best between 2026–2031.
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.