Wine reviews
Shows the juicy, forward fruit of the vintage, featuring engaging plum, blackberry and raspberry notes and a zip of roasted apple wood on the finish. Reveals solid underlying grip, with a bold graphite accent emerging steadily as this airs in the glass. Exhibits great latent vibrancy. Best from 2022 through 2040. 1,182 cases made. – J.M.
Another wine in the running for the wine of the vintage is the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard CCS, which, as always, is all Cabernet aged in new Darnajou barrels. This full-bodied, magical 2017 has incredibly polished, silky tannins as well as a mammoth-sized texture and mouthfeel. Loaded with notions of blueberries, white flowers, graphite, candied violets, and incense, it’s one of those wines that carries incredible richness and depth yet never seems heavy or cumbersome. The 2017 doesn’t get much better, and this beauty can be drunk today or cellared for two decades. – JD
A wine that’s going to flirt with perfection as well as be one of the wines of the vintage, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard offers a real “wow” nose of assorted black and blue fruits, candied violets, incense, and fruitcake. Showing more minerality with time in the glass, it’s full-bodied, has sensational purity of fruit, sweet tannins, and a huge finish. Yes, please. – JD
Deep purple-black in color, the barrel sample of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS has incredible intensity of cassis, fresh cherries and warm redcurrants with touches of tobacco, lavender and wild thyme. The palate is medium to fullbodied, grainy and lively with great expression and some spiciness on the finish. – LPB