Tench Vineyard The Calixtro Cabernet Sauvignon
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 5–20 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled ribeye steak, roasted rack of lamb, braised beef short ribs
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the iconic Tench Vineyard, situated on the eastern bench of Oakville right next to Screaming Eagle, 'The Calixtro' is a profound expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is famed for its iron-rich, red volcanic soils mixed with clay loam, which impart a signature mineral complexity and intense structure to the fruit. Winemaker Russell Bevan selects specific blocks of the vineyard to craft this cuvée, paying homage to the Tench family's heritage. The winemaking process involves meticulous sorting, cold soaking, and aging in 100% new French oak barrels. The resulting wine is legendary for its opulent texture, massive concentration of dark fruits, creme de cassis, and seamless, velvety tannins that define the modern cult style of Oakville.
🍾 About the Producer
Bevan Cellars was founded in 2005 by self-taught winemaker Russell Bevan, quickly ascending to cult status within California's fine wine landscape. Celebrated for an unabashedly opulent, hedonistic, and precision-driven winemaking style, Bevan partners with premier growers across premier microclimates in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Sourcing spans esteemed terroirs such as eastern Oakville's red volcanic and alluvial soils at Tench Vineyard, the rocky slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain, and cool maritime sites in the Russian River Valley and Petaluma Gap. Viticulture emphasizes meticulous canopy control and sustainable vineyard management, harvesting fruit at optimal physiological ripeness. In the cellar, Bevan employs minimal intervention, indigenous fermentations, squeaky-clean sorting regimens, and customized French oak aging. Benchmark bottlings include his single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons such as Tench Vineyard and Sugarloaf Mountain, proprietary red blends like Ontogeny and EE, alongside textural, vibrant Sonoma Coast Chardonnays and Ritchie Vineyard expressions.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon