Winemaker Notes
The debut vintage of the To Kalon Vineyard MB explores the vast riches of the Historic To Kalon Vineyard’s Monastery Block to its fullest potential. The fruit from this gravelly vineyard block abutting the Mayacamas Mountains creates a dense, focused, round, and uniquely supple wine with miles of intensely dark, ripe black fruit, dusty earth, and toasty oak. New for the 2017 vintage, the Schrader MB shows elegance and luster, offering a unique expression of this remarkable block of the historic vineyard site.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The very first vintage of this new Schrader label, this 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monastery Block To Kalon Vineyard comes from clone 169 planted on the Monastery Block of the Robert Mondavi section of To Kalon vineyard in Oakville. One hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it was aged in 100% new oak for 20 months. Very deep purple-black colored, it bursts from the glass with a fruit explosion of blueberry compote, freshly crushed black plums, black cherry preserves and cassis, giving way to touches of red roses, cigar boxes, yeast extract and fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a fantastic frame of bold freshness and very finely grained, firm tannins, impressively supporting the mouth-coating blue and black fruits, finishing very long and very perfumed.
Rating: 97+ -
James Suckling
Fabulous aromas of crushed blackcurrants, licorice, tar and violet. Inkwell, too. Medium body and tight, linear tannins that are polished and chewy. Driven finish. Needs time to open. First vintage of this wine and from Constellation’s To Kalon holdings.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard Monastery Block is always terrific, yet I always find it more linear and foursquare compared to some of the other releases in the lineup. Nevertheless, it offers a terrific bouquet of gravelly earth, ground herbs, chocolaty dark fruits, and some obvious minerality. This full-bodied Cabernet is going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 plus.
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Wine Spectator
Shows a beautiful range of warmed sassafras, sage and bay leaf aromas, with black tea and juniper hints, all of which impart a sense of lift and volume to the steeped plum and açaí berry core. Reveals a smoldering loam note through the finish. Best from 2021 through 2036.
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.