Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is more structured and savory, with an incredibly bloody, iron-like character that gives way to awesome notes of incense, spice, tobacco leaf, and black cherry and cassis fruits. Aged 20 months in 95% new oak, this dense, meaty, blockbuster effort needs to be forgotten for at least 5-6 years, at which point it should cruise for 25-30 years. It’s a killer bottle of wine.
Rating: 98+ -
James Suckling
Fascinating aromas of blackberries, orange peel and walnuts follow through to a medium to full body, dark fruit and hints of dried and fresh herbs. Dark chocolate, too. Firm tannins. Linear and great length. Drink in 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon GIII is deep garnet-purple in color with boisterous black fruits notes of crushed blackberries, warm black plums and blackcurrant cordial with touches of cedar chest, roses, tilled black soil and tar plus a waft of cloves. The palate is big, rich, full and packed with black fruit preserves and exotic spice notions with a velvety frame and a very long finish.
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Wine Spectator
On the ripe and showy side, with peacocking flavors of creamed plum, cassis and cherry preserves, while the back end draws in a healthy shot of toasted vanilla and dark licorice. The graphite-edged finish pulls all the elements together, adding cut and detail to the fruit. Best from 2021 through 2035.
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.