Winemaker Notes
To Kalon Vineyard Company's Eliza's cuvée is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, two varieties that best showcase the strength and spirit of this historic site at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. This blend produces one of the most compelling examples of Napa Valley wine, with the Cabernet Franc bringing exotic spice notes and floral aromas, and the Cabernet Sauvignon providing weight, structure, and a deep, rich, black fruit character. The combination is rare and uniquely To Kalon—a wine that is effusive and exuberant now, but one that will age for decades to come.
Blend: 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has amazing fruit at the end of the palate, creating an endless finish of raspberry, boysenberry and blackcurrant. Spice, too. It’s full-bodied with compact fruit. The essence of cabernet sauvignon. Remarkable wine, with energy, depth and purity. Drinkable now, but better after 2026.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Just about pure perfection, the 2019 Eliza's Red Wine (55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers up incredible darker berry, mulled cherry, spicy oak, and dried flower-like aromas and flavors. With perfect balance, medium to full body, ripe, polished tannins, and a great, great finish, this beauty just sings of ripe Cabernet Franc while bringing plenty of Cabernet Sauvignon structure and density. A sensational bottle of wine, it should evolve for 20 years as well.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Eliza's Red Wine—also approximately 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon—may be a bit less floral and exotic than the 2018 version, but it still has an attractive airiness to its silky mouthfeel and delicate herbal, teas-like shadings that beautifully complement the cherry and cassis fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, blessed with ample intensity and tremendous elegance, plus a lingering, flavorful finish.
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Wine Spectator
Leads off with a beautiful plume of warmed cassis and plum compote, followed by sparkles of anise, violet, apple wood, sweet tobacco and sassafras. The finish is underscored by loam and iron as the fruit plays out. Hefty and broad, but with cut and superior detail.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.