2002 Cabernet Sauvignon MX Beckstoffer To-Kalon
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Tasting notes
The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard was the tightest of this trio, with an inky/opaque purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of black truffles, licorice, asphalt, barbecue smoke, and oodles of blueberry and black currant fruit. Full-bodied, with striking purity and a layered, multidimensional texture, its youthful vigor and exuberance suggest a 2- to 3-year-old wine, rather than one that is a decade old. Assuming you can defer your gratification (and I really cannot offer any justification to do so), this wine will improve for at least another 5-10 years, and last for an additional 15+. Like its siblings, this is a Napa Valley legend. When you have extremely conscientious owners (Carol and Fred Schrader) combined with world-class winemaking (Thomas Rivers Brown), and an unimpeachable source for grapes (the first-growth terroir of the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard), it should not be surprising that outstanding wines are produced. All three of these 100% Cabernet Sauvignon cuvees emerge from that magical tenderloin spot in the Oakville Corridor. You could probably have these three wines on twenty different occasions and reach a different qualitative order, but there is no doubt that any of the wines could be your favorite on any given day - they are that spectacular. During this period, all three were aged in 100% new French oak (which continues), all Darnajou barrels. Tel. (707) 942-1540
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Good saturated ruby. Roasted black fruits on the nose. Superripe, fat and dense; broader but not sweeter than the RBS bottling, which is from Clone 337 (this is mostly Clone 4). Blacker in character than the RBS. Very ripe but youthfully closed. Finishes with huge, toothdusting tannins and terrific length. This will need at least four to six years of additional bottle aging. Winemaker Brown considers 2002 a more muscular vintage for cabernet than 2003, which he describes as rounder and fleshier. "The 2003s will be better young, but the 2002s will be superior in the long run," he maintains.
The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon To-Kalon Vineyard Oakville reveals great ripeness, coming across like an exotic Pomerol, such as Le Pin. Roasted herbs, caramel, toffee, black currant liqueur, and sweet smoke characteristics are present in this explosively rich, unctuously-textured, pure, ripe Cabernet. Already flamboyant and accessible, it should be drunk over the next 10-12 years. Tel. (707) 942-1212; Fax (707) 942-2147
Saturated ruby to the rim. Knockout fruit-driven aromas of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, mocha and maple syrup. Thick, large-scaled and supple, with slightly bound-up flavors of dusty dark berries, bitter chocolate and licorice. Another outsized California cabernet, finishing with huge, tongue-coating but sweet tannins. The 15.1% alcohol is actually lower than in 2001, but the wine's pH is higher owing to the heat of the season, according to Brown. Yields were tiny in vintage 2002, Brown added, as the berries were much smaller and less numerous than in 2001. The harvesting team also left some desiccated fruit on the vines.
About the producer
Schrader Cellars is one of Napa’s cult names. It focuses on pairing specific clones with the perfect site to produce the ultimate expression of Napa Cabernet. The results regularly receive the very highest scores from critics, with 19 100-point scores from the Wine Advocate to date.