2002 Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Good saturated medium ruby. Pure, vibrant aromas of black- and redcurrant, dark chocolate, tar, minerals and hot gravel. Dense, youthful and classic, with subtly sweet flavors of currant, milk chocolate, cedar, graphite and tobacco. Finishes long, firmly tannic, fat and classically dry, with lovely lingering sweetness of fruit.

(from a single clone-337-and aging entirely in new Darnajou barrels) Deep ruby. Blackberry, cassis, espresso, bitter chocolate and minerals on the nose. Dense, thick and outsized, conveying an impression of powerful extract. Strong, mouthfilling flavor of black raspberry. "Almost too big," noted winemaker Thomas Brown, who added that the "incredible growing season of 2002 produced wines that were as black as petite sirah after barely 48 hours in the tank." Today, the major sweet tannins reach the front teeth, yet are successfully buffered by the wine's huge fruit. Still a baby, but showing more personality today than the "regular" To-Kalon Vineyard 2002 sample.

The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon RBS is one of those utterly profound wines that elicits oohs and aahs. Once you put your nose in the glass, you know you are in the presence of one of the world’s greatest wines. Aromas of pen ink, forest floor, spring flowers, blue and black fruits, sweet camphor and subtle charcoal emerge from this inky/purple-colored, extremely youthful 2002. As it hits the palate, not a component is out of place. The alcohol, acidity, wood and tannin are all perfectly assembled in a masterful presentation of balance, power, finesse, complexity and potential longevity. The wine’s expansiveness, mid-palate depth (which seems like a skyscraper), and the awesome, nearly 60-second long finish are the stuff of wine legend and lore. Forget it for 4-5 years and drink it over the following 25-30 years. ||When you have extremely conscientious owners (Carol and Fred Schrader) combined with world-class winemaking (Thomas Rivers Brown), and an unimpeachable source for grapes (the first-growth terroir of the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard), it should not be surprising that outstanding wines are produced. All three of these 100% Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees emerge from that magical tenderloin spot in the Oakville Corridor. You could probably have these three wines on twenty different occasions and reach a different qualitative order, but there is no doubt that any of the wines could be your favorite on any given day - they are that spectacular. During this period, all three were aged in 100% new French oak (which continues), all Darnajou barrels.||Tel. (707) 942-1540 Wine Advocate.June, 2012