TOR Kenward Beckstoffer To Kalon Clone 4 Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Magnum

TOR Cabernet Sauvignon

To Kalon Clone 4, 2008

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Production: 130 cases, magnums only, six bottles per case

Release Date: January 2011

Vintage

The 2008 vintage has the potential to be one of Napa Valley’s finest, yet most

challenging vintages in recent memory. Our expert growers made more than 20

passes through their vineyards, and left a very small but very high quality crop. A

few distinctive notes about the vintage—it was the second consecutive drought

year and almost all of the rain came in January; the ground was dry by April.

Spring was mostly remembered for an unbelievably long frost period, which

influenced the set. Frost was the culprit for a severely reduced crop in most

appellations. On Howell Mountain, we were not able to make a wine from our

block of Cimarossa, mostly due to these conditions. We picked up two old, but

extraordinary blocks in Andy Beckstoffer’s To Kalon vineyard. Along with Mast, all

our vineyards were 40 to 50 percent off normal crop yield. The fruit had an

extraordinarily long hang time, as a result of the very long cool summer, with a

heat spike in September, and a long Indian summer. It was an amazing growing

season, but we had to work hard to bring out the best.

Vineyard

One of the To Kalon Blocks we used is planted to what I have called one of

California’s heritage clones—Clone 4, an integral component of the great BV

Cabernets made by André Tchelistcheff from the middle of the last century. Those

of you who know us and our wines know we champion this clone, and have

worked with it in the past; most notably with an old vineyard in Rutherford, that

has since been replanted. For us, this block gave us a wine that has exceptional

color, structure, and lift, more like a mountain Cabernet, and seemed ideal for

bottle for this vintage in MAGNUMS ONLY.

Winemaking

We made multiple passes through our Clone 4 To Kalon vineyard, opening up the

canopy, removing the grapes that had ripened unevenly. The grapes set early in

the season and had a long hang time. We picked them only when the seeds were

fully mature without a hint of greenness. We picked on October 9th, the last of our

To Kalon Cabernets to be picked. In the winery we used indigenous yeasts, took

our normal direction of unfiltered unfined, minimal handling through the aging

process. We continue to work with small, excellent cooperages—all French. For

the Clone 4 we used barrels from Ermitage, in addition to Taransaud and

Darnajou. We never over-handle our wines, and for this magnum bottling we let

the grapes do all the talking.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

Aromatically where the other 2 To Kalons might have some red and some black

fruits, this is all black fruits. Grilled meats/sweet cedar smoke/dry BBQ rub. On

the palate this wine is intense and palate gripping with great/round intense Clone

4 tannins. Black cherries/ink/black licorice and slow cooked brisket. This is the

wine for a long decant or to cellar.

"An amazing wine that

wows you with incredible

depth, richness, focus and

purity, offering tiers of

great dark berry fruit,

plum, cherry, cassis,

crème de cassis and

subtle smoky, toasty

notes, ending with a long,

persistent finish that

highlights its purity and

focus. Drink now through

2025. 130 cases made."

Rated 97

James Laube,

"The Wine Spectator"

May 31, 2011 issue

©2009 Tor Kenward Fa