2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Bright, clear medium ruby with a healthy rim. Darker on the nose than the 2001 bottling, conveying a slightly inky quality to its aromas of cassis, dark cherry, bitter chocolate, mocha and cedar; can't quite match the '01 for floral lift. Rich and suave in the mouth, with cassis, blueberry and licorice flavors complicated by a hint of herbs and lifted by a violet topnote. If this wine doesn't show quite the uniform ripeness, elegance or definition of the '01, it's larger-scaled. Its substantial tannins are also more apparent today, but with so much baby fat, they may yet be absorbed. Hobbs described 2002 as a "muscular" year for Cabernet, noting that he was the first to pick fruit in this vineyard. Perhaps as a result, this wine avoids the raisiny character shown by some 2002s. (ST)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
One of the greatest young Cabernet Sauvignons I have ever tasted is the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard (which I also rated 100 when it was first bottled). This wine has hardly changed since its release. Still incredibly youthful, it reveals a blue/black color along with notes of black currants, camphor, graphite, high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, blackberries and a touch of oak. Full-bodied and multilayered with terrific texture and richness as well as a 60-second finish, this young, exuberant, slightly flamboyant classic offers an interesting contrast in style with other top producers (such as Schrader Cellars) that also farm parcels of the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. Like most young Cabernets, this wine can be drunk now because of the sweetness of its tannins, but it is a good decade away from full maturity. It should last until 2040-2050. Bravo! Paul Hobbs has had an enviable career as a winemaker in California and a leading consultant in South America, particularly in Argentina, where he has fashioned a succession of brilliant Malbecs. Tel. (707) 824-9879
($265) Good saturated ruby. Superripe aromas of cassis, black raspberry, bitter chocolate and licorice; less herbal than this producer's other cabernets from this vintage. A fine-grained fruit bomb, with a captivating sweetness. This really expands on the back half yet dances on the palate. The lush tannins reach the incisors.
Bright ruby. Cassis, bitter chocolate and licorice on the nose. Large-scaled and broad on the palate, with more dimension but less early sweetness than the Napa cuvee Finishes with powerful tannins and a strong component of bitter chocolate.
About the producer
Paul Hobbs is one of California wine’s biggest names. Twice named Wine Personality of the Year by Robert Parker, he joined Robert Mondavi in 1977, worked at Opus One and Simi before setting up his eponymous winery in 1991.