2011 TOR Beckstoffer To Kalon Red

A new wine in the Tor range, the 2011 Red Wine Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, both from To Kalon. There is lovely depth and persistence in the glass, with plenty of expressive floral and spiced notes from the Franc. This is a solid showing, but it is impossible to fully escape the limits of the year.

The 2011 Proprietary Red Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc made from minuscule yields because of the rain and subsequent sorting that had to be done in order to obtain only untainted fruit. Abundant notes of barbecue, forest floor, menthol and blue and black fruits are found in this soft, round 2011. It is ideal for drinking now and over the next 5-6 years. Tor Kenward, the long-time PR rep for the Beringer empire, has his own project for a number of years and he continues to build an impressive portfolio of fascinating wines that reflect his love of Napa Valley and his own personal preference for complex wines. Incidentally, he has one of the great wine collections of Napa and he is one of those true connoisseurs who is happy to share his best bottles. While production levels for the wines in this portfolio are relatively small, all of them are top-notch, interesting efforts. Tasting through three vintages of Tor’s Cabernet Sauvignons left me with the impression that this winery continues to go from strength to strength. Despite the issues of valley floor vineyards, Tor has done well in 2011. He told me that the rot that afflicted many valley floor vineyards was very site specific, and the only way to ensure clean, pure wines was low yields, open canopies, culling out affected bunches or berries, and Draconian-like sorting procedures. It appears he has done all of that given the success of his 2011s, which, with the exception of the Cimarossa, are low elevation vineyards. I also tasted five barrel samples from 2012, a large, easy vintage with no problems of any serious consequence. Tel. (707) 963-3100

(includes 28% cabernet franc, hence its designation as Red Wine): Bright ruby-red. Lovely floral lift to the aromas of black cherry, licorice and fresh herbs. Juicy, fine-grained and light on its feet, with enticing floral perfume to the redcurrant, blackberry and tobacco flavors. Cool, suave and firm but not at all an opulent style, with the cabernet franc floral and menthol elements dominating. Finishes with dusty tannins and very good length. Kenward gets five acres of cabernet sauvignon fruit but the crop level was cut sharply in 2011 by poor weather during the flowering; the cabernet franc, on the other hand, produced a big crop.