Carter Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon - 'The G.T.O' 2016
Tasting Notes
Referred to as "a true bucket list Cabernet Sauvignon," the 2016 Carter Cellars available only in Magnum format is sourced from the very best barrels, in the very best slices of the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. A monumental wine, that possesses huge notes of smoke, tobacco leaf, crushed flowers, blueberries, blackberries, and licorice in both the aromatic and flavor profiles. The finish is endless in this super-intense, rich wine. Like all of our Beckstoffer To Kalons the sweetness of tannins and the emerging complexity permits enjoyment at this early stage, but let it age for 10 to 25 years to see the best of what this wine has to offer. As always, extremely limited, so act with haste.
"The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon The GTO is very deep purple-black in color. Bam! Out of the gate it produces an incredibly alluring nose of freshly crushed black cherries, blackberry compote, blackcurrant cordial and licorice with nuances of violets, fertile loam, black truffles, unsmoked cigars and a waft of beef drippings. Big, full-bodied and powerful in the mouth—without the least bit of heaviness—the palate gives an awe-inspiring array of earth, black fruit preserves and floral layers, supported by a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing epically long and with fantastic freshness. This is To Kalon giving its all!"
100 Points ~ Wine Advocate
Map of the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
The History of the To Kalon Vineyard
The Beckstoffer portion of the historic original To Kalon Vineyard in the Oakville AVA was purchased from Beaulieu Vineyard in 1993. Beaulieu had purchased the property from the Crabb estate in 1940 and called it their Beaulieu Vineyard No. 4. Napa Pioneer Hamilton Crabb first planted the vineyard in 1868 and it has produced some of the Napa Valley's best red grapes ever since. Replanted after phylloxera by Beckstoffer from 1994 to 1997 to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with modern trellising and closer vine spacing, the vineyard produces several luxury award winning vineyard designated wines. These vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon wines include Schrader Cellars, Paul Hobbs, Tor, Realm and of course, Carter Cellars.
