2018 MB


“Schrader Monastery Block - I love this wine. I refer to it as "monumental" Monastery. Because this wine is inky, rich, lush, and just profound. It comes from that very famous section of the To Kalon Vineyard. MB is just a tremendous expression of Cabernet Sauvignon.” — Carol Schrader

  • Vintage 2018
  • Vineyard To Kalon Vineyard
  • Appellation Oakville, Napa Valley
  • Varietal Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Clone Pure Clone 169
  • Cooperage Aged 20 months in rare Darnajou French oak barrels
  • Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown
  • Tasting Notes

    A brilliant sequel to our inaugural release, the 2018 Schrader MB continues to show the unique qualities of To Kalon Vineyard® terroir. Made from grapes grown in close proximity to the Mayacamas Mountains, the wine brims with bold aromas of Bing cherries, briar fruit, and raspberries, complemented by elegant crushed rock minerality. Medium- to full-bodied, this wine glides over the palate with fine, grippy tannins and gorgeous bright-yet-balanced fruit. The fine tone and vast dimension of the Schrader MB promises tremendous opportunity for further development in the bottle.

  • Accolades

    98+ Pts. “Only the second vintage of this new Schrader label, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Monastery Block To Kalon Vineyard comes from clone 169 planted on the Monastery Block of the Robert Mondavi section of To Kalon vineyard in Oakville. One hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it is was aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is shut down, requiring a fair amount of swirling to unveil pronounced black currant cordial, stewed plums and blackberry preserves scents with hints of crushed rocks, tar, licorice and camphor. Medium-bodied, the palate reveals a lot of energy and tension, offering glimpses of mineral and spice accents among the tightly knit, muscular black fruit layers, supported by a solid wall of firm, grainy tannins. It finishes with great length and a lively burst of freshness. 302 cases were made.”
    — Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

    98 Pts. “An expressive and complex cabernet sauvignon with notes of plum, blackberry, toasted oak and earthy undertones. Lots of blue fruit. The palate is full and tannic with firm tannins and a long, powerful finish, showing so much black currant, blue fruit and dark chocolate. Solid. Better after 2024.”
    — James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com

  • Vineyard

    First planted in 1868 by viticultural and winemaking icon Hamilton Crabb, To Kalon Vineyard® has long been regarded as the source of Napa Valley’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Within the prime vineyard blocks, an alluvial fan provides excellent and varied mineral deposits, and the rich soils are filled with marine sediment that gives our wines their distinctive profiles. The vines receive full sun and optimal heat during the day and are cooled by marine fog at night. These conditions allow the Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the vineyard to display its own unique character, and this celebration of individuality is the essence of Schrader ®.

  • Vintage

    After a wet and cool winter, both bud break and flowering got off to a later-than-normal start. Summer brought nice, even temperatures with very few heat spikes, resulting in great phenolic development in the grapes and even ripening across all our vineyard sites. Due to the lower-than-normal summer temperatures, the grapes enjoyed long, steady ripening. This allowed for wonderful sugar development while maintaining structure. Once in barrel, the wines showed prodigious depth and incredible character that wonderfully displayed the benefits of slow, even ripening. A winemaker’s dream, the 2018 vintage has produced wines that will provide exceptional pleasure upon release and age gracefully in your cellar.

All MB Vintages