10 top To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon
To Kalon vineyard has gained legendary status for its Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley. William Kelley picks his top 10 To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon wines.
The potential of To Kalon, considered as one of North America’s ‘first growth’ vineyards, was first discovered in 1868 by Hamilton Crabb after he purchased an estate in Oakville. He experimented with plenty of different vines before realising that his estate was perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon.
The secret to Crabb’s success lies with the terroir. To Kalon sits on an alluvial fan which means that a broad swathe of alluvial material was deposited by ancient streams that flowed down from the Mayacamas mountains surrounding the land.
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These deep and gravelly soils are very well drained and they force vines to delve deep underground in search of water, creating the stress necessary for optimal ripening.
After a few years, and after his wines won numerous awards throught the US and the rest of the world, he renamed the vineyard To Kalon, which is Greek for the highest beauty or highest good.
However, this good fortune wasn’t to last after Crabb died and the Prohibition began in 1920. Post Prohibition the vineyard was divided up with Robert Mondavi purchasing 132ha in 1962.
Nowadays, To Kalon is divided into six and after a long and drawn out lawsuit over who can brand their wines under the To Kalon name, the grapes can sell for more than £18,000 a tonne and a To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon bottling is must-have for any new winery with pretensions to grandeur.
Top 10 To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon:
Paul Hobbs, Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2012
One of the most sophisticated renditions of To Kalon. Complex aromas of creamy cassis, charcoal, cocoa and cigar box are the prelude to a layered,...
2012
Paul HobbsNapa Valley
MacDonald, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2012
Savoury and structured, this opens up in the glass to reveal brooding notes of black cherry, cocoa, woodsmoke and black olive. Finely grained but abundant...
2012
MacDonaldNapa Valley
Schrader Cellars, RBS Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer To Kalon RBS Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2010
Made entirely from clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine bursts from the glass with lavish aromas of ripe cherry, graphite, espresso coffee and liquorice. Ample...
2010
Schrader CellarsNapa Valley
Robert Mondavi, To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2012
One of Napa Valley’s classics, the 2012 Mondavi Reserve leads with notes of blackberry, black olive and earthy complexity. On the palate, savoury tannins and...
2012
Robert MondaviNapa Valley
Robert Mondavi, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 1975
95
1975 was a great vintage for Napa, as this wine bears witness. Youthful aromas of smoky black fruit, cedar and cigar ash are the prelude to a wine of striking concentration and energy that is ageing with effortless grace.
1975
Robert MondaviNapa Valley
MacDonald, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2011
95
The MacDonald brothers’ 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon from their vineyard in the heart of To Kalon is an exceptional wine, and one of the best of the vintage. Endowed with a classical and highly refined tannic structure, after lengthy decanting the wine bursts from the glass in a blaze of juicy cherry and blackberry, with nuances of black truffle, graphite and menthol. Firm at the core and nicely balanced at this early stage in its evolution, I expect this bottling to develop beautifully in the cellar.
2011
MacDonaldNapa Valley
Robert Mondavi, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 1974
Hailing from another benchmark vintage, the 1974 Mondavi Reserve offers up aromas of cassis, cherries, mocha and cigar ash, followed by a deep, full-bodied palate....
1974
Robert MondaviNapa Valley
Opus One, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2012
A near-ideal vintage, where all parts were perfect. Here we are at full peak Opus; satin-like in texture, packed with cassis, bilberry and crushed raspberry...
2012
Opus OneNapa Valley
Opus One, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 1979
At 40 years old, the colour here is still exceptionally dark, surprisingly so. On the palate, the more expected signs of evolution are certainly there...
1979
Opus OneNapa Valley
Robert Mondavi, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 1984
89
From a cool vintage, this wine opens in the glass to reveal notes of bright raspberry, cedar and dried herbs. Juicy and supple on the palate, the structured tannins have largely melted away.
1984
Robert MondaviNapa Valley
