2023 Carter Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon ‘The Grand Daddy’ Cabernet Sauvignon

JD96-98 The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard The Grand Daddy is mostly Clone 4 from this Grand Cru site in Oakville. Sweet red and black fruits, flowery incense, leather, smoked tobacco, and chocolaty nuances all shine here, and this is full-bodied and voluptuous on the palate, with sweet yet building tannins, a massive core of sweet fruit, terrific overall balance, and outstanding length. It’s a classic 2023 from this team that has ripe, opulent fruit yet a solid, firm, structured core that should flesh out nicely with short-term cellaring.
Estate Notes: Called “Magic in a glass” in previous vintages, this block of Beckstoffer To Kalon produced exceptional wines in 2023 as a result of great farming matched with purist style winemaking and exceptional blending. These older clone 4 vines offer our most upfront and instantly appealing wine from this vineyard. Dark black cherry fruit, cassis and toasted baking spice intertwine to create a lavish multi-layered wine that leads to an enormous mid-palate buttressed perfectly by the wine’s natural acidity and gripping tannins. Offering a unique amount of ripeness and texture, this is a weightless elegant wine wrapped up in a cloak of raw but refined power.