2022 - 2030
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.
Jeff Ames has made the wines for Napa PR legend-turned-vintner Tor Kenward for more than a decade now, turning out rich, seductive wines from a bevy of top vineyards across Napa. Tasting through the lineup of bottled 2019s, what stands out is the quality of the tannins produced by these sites and the inherent balance they each maintain. "The last time I bled [the tanks] was 2008," said Ames. "And the last time I added acid was 2009." Although Ames described 2007 as "not my favorite vintage in Napa in general," he opened a bottle of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon to show how the Tor wines age. It's aging nicely, with a decade of prime drinking left ahead of it. These wines are expensive, but the pedigree of the sites, the quality of the winemaking and the passion of the owner are all noteworthy. If there was any doubt about the latter, Kenward has recently published a book, "Reflections of a Vintner," that should be on any Napa-phile's reading list.
