TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Beckstoffer To Kalon 2012

97 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Cabernet Franc sourced entirely from the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyard, the deep garnet-purple colored 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon gives pureed blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries and cassis with rose hip tea, violets, black soil, pencil shavings and iron ore plus a touch of unsmoked cigars. The palate is full-bodied and packed with multilayered fruit and structured by firm, ripe, grainy tannins. It's very fresh with marbled mineral and fruit character, finishing very long. 328 cases were made. Drink: 2020-2046. (Sep 2018)"

96 points Robert Parker: "One of my highest ratings goes to the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. Super sweet notes of white chocolate, crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, licorice and cedarwood along with baking spices soar from the glass of this first-growth look-alike from Tor Kenward. Everyone who uses this fabulous vineyard seems to create something extra special. With superb intensity, a full-bodied mouthfeel and incredible purity, texture and depth, this classic from Napa should drink well for 20-25 years. Drink: 2014-2039. (10/30/14)"

96 points James Suckling: "Intense aromas of blackberry, cherry and floral incense. Full-bodied, rich and powerful. Lots of fruit yet shows form and tension. Very long in the mouth. Best wine ever from here? (7/29/15)"

95 points Wine Spectator: "Direct and powerful, this full-throttle Cabernet offers a dense core of extracted blackberry, black cherry, cassis, mocha, loamy earth, cedar and tobacco leaf flavors. Ends with cedary oak and gripping tannins, but this is ultimately graceful given the size and scope. Drink now through 2030. 975 cases made. (4/29/15)"

92-95 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(includes 2% cabernet franc): Bright ruby-red. A real cabernet black hole on the almost liqueur-like nose, hinting at kirsch, cassis and bitter chocolate. Lush, sweet and huge; showcases this vineyard's volume and mouthfilling sweetness. Saturates the entire mouth with sweet red berry, blueberry, cocoa power and dark chocolate flavors. Remarkably seamless for its sheer size and not at all heavy. This hugely rich wine is likely to enjoy a glorious and leisurely evolution in the bottle. (May/Jun 2014)"

Producer notes: "The To Kalon vineyard in Oakville is in one of the (if not THE) premier spots in the Napa Valley. It has a well-earned reputation for making wines that are powerful but somehow retain finesse. Wines that are rich and intense but are drinkable in their youth, and also 10 years later. In short, wines like the 2012 To Kalon Cabernet. This is the best To Kalon Cabernet since 2006 in my opinion. It shows the loamy, earthy side of west Oakville, allied with sweet, rich black and red fruit, as well as licorice and burning embers. This has an absolutely uncanny ability to have intense richness but still be light and flowing on the palate. I don’t think that there will be a ‘bad’ time to drink this vintage. It is showing wonderfully now and should continue to do so for the next 10 years, at least. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. 1,260 cases produced."