2018 Beckstoffer To Kalon

99 Pts “Just about pure perfection, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader has classic Schrader style in its sexy red and blue fruits as well as chocolate, violets, and chalky minerality. All Cabernet Sauvignon brought up mostly in new barrels, this inky-hued, full-bodied, massively concentrated beauty has ultra-fine tannins and no hard edges, with incredible length on the finish. The vintage doesn't get more sexy or opulent than this and it's going to drink brilliantly for 20-25 years if well stored.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

97 Pts “Shows a gorgeous display, easily carrying a large core of cassis, plum reduction, black cherry compote, licorice and sweet bay notes, with an apple wood hint on the flanks and a long, resonant tug of warm loam running underneath. Offers heft and scale, with definition and proportion, plus latent energy for the cellar. Best from 2026 through 2042”
— James Moleworth, Wine Spectator

99 Pts “Lots of blackberry, white pepper and other spices. Ink, too. Medium to full body with firm, silky tannins that run the length of the wine. Very al-dente fruit character. Flavorful and vivid. Extremely long. So drinkable. Gorgeous. Crazy. Drink or hold.”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

98 Pts “Explosive dark black fruit aromas mingle with black olive, ground coffee and walnut husks. A mix of Darnajou and Taransaud barrels deliver toasty cedar and espresso accents, while fine-grained, firm tannins support lacy dark fruit and tangy blood orange acidity on a long, satisfying finish.”
— Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter

98 Pts “Another spicy, complex, gorgeous wine in every sense, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader reminds me of the CCS with its pure, seamless, perfectly balanced style. Lots of cassis fruits, notes of flowery incense, baking spices, leather, and unsmoked tobacco, silky tannins, remarkable purity, and a great finish all define this beauty, and it's certainly up with the crème de la crème of this great vintage.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

97 Pts “This has all the dense cassis, butter plum and blackberry fruit you'd expect from an Oakville Cabernet, but these elements are married to a more overt energy than most of its peers, as bramble, anise and licorice root provide a bristling accent. Offers a great graphite underpinning through the finish, and has fruit to burn. One for the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2040.”
— James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

97-99 Pts “The full-bodied palate explodes with massive black fruit and earthy layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and loads of freshness, finishing on a persistent mineral note.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

96 + “Also known as the Schrader Schrader, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader offers a more black-fruited, chocolate, and mineral-laced profile as well as full-bodied richness, a dense, powerful mid-palate, and building tannins. As I wrote last year, it’s one of the biggest, baddest wines in the lineup. I wouldn’t open bottles for a good 4-5 years, yet it should be long-lived.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, Jeb Dunnuck.com

96 Pts. “Very deep purple-black colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard sails out of the glass with pretty scents of kirsch, blackcurrant cordial, dark chocolate and candied violets with a core of warm plums and blackberry pie plus a touch of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers loads of mineral and earthy sparks among the black fruit layers, supported with firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

96 Pts. “Beautifully pure plum and blackberry notes gush forth, with melted licorice and sweet toast elements cascading in on the finish. Shows serious depth for a 2017, getting denser and more focused as this moves through the finish, a great sign for cellaring. Extra violet, graphite and sweet spice accents create a gorgeous backdrop. Tempting now, but best to wait. Best from 2021 through 2040. 310 cases made.”
— James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

(95-96 Pts.) “This is showing depth and length for the vintage with full body, bright and vivid impact and a long, intense finish. Super fine and intense tannins at the end. First bottling of this vineyard site from the Robert Mondavi site of To Kolan.”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

99 Pts. “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader (aka Schrader Schrader) is another just about perfect wine from this unstoppable team at Schrader, which is lead by Thomas Rivers Brown. As with all these releases, it's 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and spent 20 months in 75% new Darnajou barrels and 25% new Taransaud barrels. Deep purple-colored, with a mammoth bouquet of blue fruits, liquid violets, camphor, and incense along with hints of oak and graphite, it's full-bodied, uber-rich and concentrated, yet also elegant and seamless. It's a rock star bottle of wine.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

98 Pts. “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is very deep purple-black in color, with opulent scents of exotic spices, sandalwood and cloves over a core of chocolate box, crushed black cherries, mulberries and black pepper with a waft of cedar. The full-bodied palate has a rock-solid line of ripe, grainy tannins, oodles of freshness and layer upon layer of spice and incense-laced black fruits, finishing on a compelling aniseed note.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

96 Pts. “A big, broad-shouldered wine, brimming with cassis, crushed plum and steeped blackberry fruit flavors, all pushed by a dense, loamy spine that courses through the middle. The sides are polished and the fruit powers through, imparting drive and providing contrast to the loamy character. Best from 2021 through 2040. 172 cases made.”
— James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

100 Pts. “Coming from the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, from blocks C2, D2 and B2 planted predominately to clone 4, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader is intensely scented of vibrant blackberries, black plums and cassis, with touches of Indian spices, eucalypt, mocha and tilled black soil plus a waft of oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate comes through with a compelling chocolate-covered cherries character and tons of subtle layers, structured with very firm, very fine-grained tannins and impressive freshness, finishing with epic persistence.”
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

98 Pts. “Another wine that flirts with perfection is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Schrader (aka Schrader Schrader). It's one of the more opulent, massive and sweetly fruited beauties in the lineup, yet it has incredible purity and elegance, as well as full-bodied power and richness. Cassis, toasted spices, licorice, and chocolate all emerge from this long, rich, perfectly balanced beauty. There are just over 200 cases produced and it's going to deliver the goods for two decades, although there's no harm in early gratification either.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

95 Pts. “Beautifully crafted, deep, rich and multifaceted, with tiers of dark berry, cherry, plum and wild berry, this is deftly balanced, making it notably easy to approach now, but a great choice for the cellar as well. Best from 2020 through 2033.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

95 Pts. “Hot stones and blueberries. Oyster shell, too. Full-bodied and tight with ultra-long tannins and crispness. Tight and balanced. Beautiful now. Why wait?”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

99 Pts. “Seductive aromas of crushed berries, wet earth, leaves, mushrooms and violets. Wow. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a super depth of fruit and intensity. Shows power with finesse. This needs three to four years before it will show its true greatness.”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

95 Pts. “The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is clone 4 from the To Kalon vineyard is aged in 75% new Darnajou and 25% new Taransaud. This is a fruit-forward, opaque purple wine, like its siblings, with notes of creosote, licorice, charcoal, blackcurrants and blackberries. It is full-bodied, but round and succulent. It ended up at 14.5% natural alcohol. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

93 Pts. “A bold, rich, assertive style that packs in lots of flavor, from spicy oak to mocha and espresso notes, all of which bolster the core of dark berry, licorice, vanilla bean and spice. Ends with full-blown, integrated tannins. Best from 2020 through 2034.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

100 Pts. “This is a red with amazing structure and muscle yet it remains fresh and agile. Full body, chewy and polished tannins. Salty with chili and sweet tobacco. So savory. Marvelous, seamless texture. In synch. Why wait?”
— James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

95 Pts. “The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from clone 4, but a different block of the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, shows great fruit, but not nearly the complexity of the CCS. It is one of those micro-examples that is a fabulous wine, but somehow never seems to be up to the quality of the CCS, which is made from the same clone in an adjacent block. Nevertheless, this wine is full-bodied, rich and dense, with classic tobacco leaf, graphite, blackcurrant and licorice, and some toasty, smoky oak in the background. Drink it over the next 30 years.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

95 Pts. “Pure, clean crushed berry and floral aromas are the introduction to this vibrant, robust and deeply flavored effort, with cascading blackberry, wild berry, anise, cedar, tobacco leaf and melted licorice notes, ending with a long, sustained aftertaste that keeps echoing the core themes. Best from 2020 through 2035.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

98 Pts. “Nearly as prodigious is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer to Kalon Vineyard, which is Clone 4 and Clone 6 blended together from the Beckstoffer to Kalon Vineyard, this is the highest in alcohol of the 2012s at 14.6%. It was aged in a combination of 50% new Darnajou and 50% new Taransaud barrels. This wine is one of the tighter, more backward of the 2012s, with more structure, tannin, muscle, a masculine personality, oodles of black and blue fruits and a massive mouthfeel, but is somehow much more primary and younger tasting than the other wines. Forget it for a few years and drink it over the following 20-25 years.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

95 Pts. “Sleek, refined and elegant, showing rich layers of spicy oak, black- berry and wild berry, with cedar and herb nuances. Ends with a long, full finish that gains depth and detail, firming nicely on the finish.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

96 Pts. “The impressive 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is one of the richest of Schrader’s 2011s. Thomas Brown told me that this particular block was picked before the heavy rainfalls arrived and production was a minuscule three-quarters of a ton per acre. Hence, only 52 cases were made. It is a big, rich, atypical wine for a 2011.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

96 Pts. “Delivers a rich, potent mix of layered flavors that are deep and pure, brimming with black licorice, dark berry, mocha, tea and floral notes that are tight, focused and persistent, with gutsy tannins.”
— James Laube, Wine Spectator

94+ Pts. “The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is the most tannic of these cuvees. It exhibits an opaque purple color along with a big, intense perfume, but the wine is closed, structured, muscular and masculine in the mouth. There are only 52 cases, compared to 370 cases in 2012, so good luck finding any. This offering was made from clone 4, 6 and 337, making it one of the few multiple clone wines in the Schrader portfolio.”
— Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate