Winemaker Notes
Schrader's Beckstoffer To Kalon RBS is produced from 100% Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from blocks of the vineyard that receive full sun and optimal heat during the day and are cooled by marine fog at night. Unfailingly red-fruited and plush yet balanced with savory notes of roasted coffee and supple silky tannins. The most generous wine in their portfolio, RBS tends to be more approachable upon release than their other bottlings.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
2021 marks the 20th vintage of Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon for Schrader Cellars. It's a monumental red, with a skyscraper's structure and the rocket's length heading straight for outer space. Youthfully exuberant, the nose leads with a heady mix of red and black-toned fruits and mocha spices. The wine has excellent energy and tension in the mouth, with towering, full-throttle tannins and lasting intensity. The finish is profoundly mineral-driven and framed by a spine of soaring acidity. Although incredibly attractive now, I feel the Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet has robust staying power, with the 'bones' to the cellar for the long term.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Just about pure perfection, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader has classic Schrader style in its sexy red and blue fruits as well as chocolate, violets, and chalky minerality. All Cabernet Sauvignon brought up mostly in new barrels, this inky-hued, full-bodied, massively concentrated beauty has ultra-fine tannins and no hard edges, with incredible length on the finish. The vintage doesn't get more sexy or opulent than this and it's going to drink brilliantly for 20-25 years if well stored.
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James Suckling
An unapologetic, big, full-bodied California cabernet with brawny tannins, rich and deep fruit and chocolate flavors on a broad texture. Blueberries, dark cherries and savory hints of bay leaves and walnut skin are wrapped in firm, layered tannins that are typical of Oakville. This is the “regular” Schrader, yet it can age well for many years. Best after 2030.
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Wine Spectator
Shows a gorgeous display, easily carrying a large core of cassis, plum reduction, black cherry compote, licorice and sweet bay notes, with an apple wood hint on the flanks and a long, resonant tug of warm loam running underneath. Offers heft and scale, with definition and proportion, plus latent energy for the cellar. Best from 2026 through 2042.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Clone 4 from block C2, Schrader's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard features seductive aromas of black cherries, licorice, deep loam, dried spices and mocha. It's full-bodied, ripe and succulently creamy in texture across the mid-palate with those well-managed tannins, concluding with ample length and elegance, accented by hints of dark chocolate.
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.