Beckstoffer To Kalon Red Wine
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10–25 years from the vintage release, though it can be enjoyed in its youth with several hours of decanting.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Prime dry-aged ribeye steak, roasted rack of lamb with rosemary, slow-braised beef short ribs
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville is arguably the most famous first-growth equivalent site in the Napa Valley. First planted in 1868 by viticultural pioneer Hamilton Walker Crabb, who named it 'To Kalon'—Greek for 'the highest beauty'—this historic terroir sits on a well-drained alluvial fan at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains. TOR Kenward's expression of this legendary site is a masterclass in Napa Valley power and elegance. Sourced from prized blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon planted to heritage clones, the wine benefits from the vineyard's gravelly loam soils, intense mid-day heat, and cooling afternoon breezes. Winemaker Jeff Ames employs a minimalist approach, utilizing indigenous yeast fermentations and aging in prime French oak barrels, bottling the wine unfined and unfiltered to preserve the opulent dark fruit, exquisite mineral tension, and seamless tannins that define this historic vineyard.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 2001 by Napa Valley veteran Tor Kenward and his wife Susan, TOR Kenward Family Wines is a boutique estate dedicated to crafting small-lot, single-vineyard wines that express the singular terroirs of Napa Valley. Drawing on Kenward's nearly three decades of experience at Beringer, the winery sources fruit from legendary sites, most notably the historic Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. The winemaking philosophy, guided by winemaker Jeff Ames, emphasizes minimal intervention, utilizing native yeast fermentations, and bottling without fining or filtration. TOR is highly celebrated for its powerful, complex Cabernet Sauvignons and expressive Syrahs that showcase the pinnacle of California winemaking. Address: 1507 Main St, St Helena, CA 94574, USA Website: https://torwines.com