Growing Conditions
To Kalon: \TO ka∙lon\ noun: the ideal of physical and moral beauty especially as conceived by the philosophers of classical Greece.
It was also the ancient Greeks who first said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If that is true, then To Kalon Vineyard is aptly named, considered by countless people over many decades as the preeminent vineyard of Napa Valley. We’ve been fortunate to work with grapes from Beckstoffer To Kalon since we began making wine in 2002. Comprised of a portion of the historical To Kalon vineyard planted in 1868, the 89-acre parcel was acquired by Andy Beckstoffer in 1993 and replanted to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Sitting on the west side of the Napa Valley’s Oakville appellation, Beckstoffer To Kalon grapes are only made available to a small number of boutique wine producers, who, quite simply, fashion them into some of the highest quality wines Napa Valley has to offer. “The wines from To Kalon are so dense, so opulent,” says Winemaker Benoit Touquette. “When you look at it, it’s hard to put a finger on what makes this vineyard so special. But in the wine, its beauty is unmistakable.” Realm’s Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from several blocks planted to Clones 4 and 337. The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bordering Highway 29 and stretching west nearly to the Mayacamas Mountain range, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard sits on a vast alluvial plain, formed millions of years ago during a period of immense geologic activity. The site has been planted to wine grapes since 1868, and in 1994 it was replanted using close spacing and modern trellising techniques. The site is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with several rows of Cabernet Franc at its westernmost edge. In 2007 the property was placed under a land conservation easement that forever prohibits non-agricultural development.
