2009 Tor Beckstoffer Tokalon Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage 2009 growing season was definitely one of the most uniform in recent history. No spring frosts, long and cool, except for one heat spike in June - I think one of the best for our blocks in Oakville’s Beckstoffer To Kalon and on Howell Mountain, our Cimarossa vineyard. The wines from these terroirs have developed beautifully in barrel. All the grapes from these sites were picked under ideal conditions at optimum ripeness before the strange warm storm hit the North Coast on Oct 15th. One of our favorite To Kalon vintages to date.



Vineyards Beckstoffer To Kalon continues to receive worldwide accolades for the wines, particularly in the last decade. The vineyard is on a gentle slope on the western foothills of the Oakville appellation. Soils are Bale loam/Bale clay loam, and are impeccably farmed by Andy Beckstoffer’s team. We have a by-acre contract so we can determine canopy, crop load and picking dates – but rely on the Beckstoffer viticulturists for insight into this unique vineyard to guide our decisions. 2009 was an exceptional vintage for this vineyard, and our blocks. Our Clone 6 is from E Block and represents two acres.



Winemaking The fundamentals are to have the vineyard stand above and beyond any flavors winemaking brings to the equation. We do berry sort, pick early morning, and ferment at temperatures that preserve varietal indemnity, never over aerate, and never filter or fine. We like to leave everything in, not remove flavors. Our favorite French coopers are Darnajou and Tarasaund for our Cabernet Sauvignons from To Kalon. We believe great winemaking is to know what not to do, which does take experience.



Winemaker’s Tasting Notes The nose on this wine just explodes (as we have come to expect from the Clone 6), showing tons of flowers, cedar and black licorice. The palate of this is very full and rich with noticeable young tannins that are more that buffered by the wealth of fruit. Perhaps the most youthful today, this seems to want to be laid down for a little while.