The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon is another head-turning wine that defies the vintage. Coming from one of the benchmark sites in all of Napa as well as the world, it sports a deep purple hue as well as awesome notes of ripe black cherries, graphite, flowery incense, and violets. While the vineyard always seems to produce some of the most opulent and extroverted wines in the vintage, this beauty also has considerable elegance, silky tannins, and a great finish. It should continue drinking brilliantly for 20-25+ years or more.

A really pretty red with blackberries and spice, hazelnuts and dark chocolate. Full to medium body and medium, fine and velvety tannins. Juicy and flavorful finish. Direct and focused. Racy is the world to describe this. Drink in 2024.

Stylistically, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard reminds me a bit of the 2014 in its mid-weight structure, but it has more inner perfume and sweetness in its fruit. Dried flowers, mint, pine, graphite and crushed rocks infuse this nuanced, wonderfully vivid Cabernet with tons of complexity. The 2017 naturally still needs time to come together, but it is super-impressive even in the early going. In 2017, only the early, pre-fire picks were used in the blend, which means the finished wine is different from what was originally conceived. For that reason, the 2017 is going to be a fascinating wine to follow in the years to come.