Wine reviews
I do not know what the G.T.O. stands for (I doubt it is in reference to a car), but to me, it means “Great Time Offered” as the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon The G.T.O. is one of the truly majestic and singular world-class wines of Napa Valley. It raises the bar on the other To Kalon offerings, which are all stunning in their own right. The G.T.O. is a multidimensional Cabernet Sauvignon of first-growth quality from a great Bordeaux vintage. Its inky/ruby/purple color is followed by an extraordinary nose of crème de cassis, graphite and spring flowers. The new oak component is buried beneath the luxurious fruit, extravagant, multidimensional mouthfeel, and full-bodied texture and length. The incredible sweetness in the finish comes from richness and extract, not residual sugar. It is something to behold! This compelling superstar is pure perfection. From magnum, this beauty should drink well for two decades or more. One of my favorite tiny boutique wineries in Napa Valley is Carter Cellars. They have been on a fabulous qualitative roll lately, and there are high expectations for the 2012s and 2013s. I tasted six barrel samples from the 2013 vintage, which all achieved basically the same alcohol levels as the 2012s, 14.8%-14.9%. By and large, the berries were smaller in 2013, and yields were good, but not as abundant as in 2012. That fact is often seen in the wines which are even more concentrated (as hard as that is to believe) than the 2012s. The 2013 vintage looks like a replay of 2001, and 2012 looks like a repeat of 2002, at least for Bordeaux varietals in Napa Valley. I can’t say enough about these offerings from Carter Cellars. If the rumor around the wine world is true that, because of their name, this estate was being harassed, possibly sued by the huge international French firm of Cartier, shame on Cartier.-RP