2019 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
A barrel selection from the gentle slope and steep hillside terraces of the Tierra Roja vineyard. Classic Oakville East with its black cherries, rhubarb pie, and huckleberry preserves. There is a warm red rock minerality to support the sumptuous yet fresh, juicy mid palate and ripe, chewy tannins. The pedigree is perfect, Screaming Eagle, Maya, and Rudd are all neighbors. It is just a lovely Cabernet to drink.
Proprietor Tor Kenward and his winemaking team, led by Jeff Ames, have been crafting world-class wines at this eponymous estate from its inception. Tor’s 30+ years in the Napa wine business have afforded him relationships with the sort of growers who have lines behind golden velvet ropes begging for their grapes. It pays to know where the valley’s greatest terroirs are in the Napa Valley. Robert Mondavi sited his winery smack in the middle of To Kalon because he, father Cesare, and brother Peter all knew how great the grapes were for Charles Krug in the 1950s. Starting in the 1970s, Andy Beckstoffer began studying and acquiring the finest terroirs in the valley, and strongly advocating for vineyard designation. And of course Tor Kenward, as an executive for Beringer, knew which sites were the most powerful contributors to Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet. Tor has an insider’s knowledge and a rolodex that newcomers simply can’t buy. This is why the wines of TOR are so important to us, and why they demand your attention.
James Suckling
Lots of dark plums and berries with some fresh bay leaf. Full-to medium-bodied with round, velvety tannins, but in a reserved way. So delicious now. Selection of Terra Roja and Skellenger vineyards. Drink now or hold.
Jeb Dunnuck
Lots of ripe black fruits, roasted herbs, new leather, and lead pencil notes emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville, a rich, meaty, medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon that picks up some classic Oakville iron and olive notes with air. Jeff and Tor both believe this is the finest vintage for this cuvée they've done, and I'm hard-pressed to argue with them. Best After 2022
Wine Advocate
From a vineyard off Skellinger Lane, plus some barrels declassified from single-vineyard bottlings, Tor's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville offers lovely aromatics, with intricate herbal shadings of sage and bay leaf set against a backdrop of cassis and black cherries. Medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a soft finish, it's delicious already, with a decade of gorgeous drinking ahead of it.