The 2023 Black Magic leans toward the darker, more brooding end of a wine’s fruit profile. Very complex notes of spiced black plum, cassis, along with hints of cardamom, anise, a sense of petrichor, with notes of bitter chocolate, espresso, and graphite. It’s somehow intense and powerful, yet elegant and lithe on the palate. –Jeff Ames, Winemaker

The 2023 To Kalon BFD Cabernet shows the spicier side of To Kalon. Whereas the regular To Kalon Cabernet is more silk/velvet and black fruit, the BFD is more of a spicy/earthy combo of red and black fruits- red cherry, spearmint, dark chocolate, cocoa nibs. It does not have as thick a palate as the regular To Kalon, but has perhaps more layers of fruit and earth. I am a huge fan of baking spices, and this has loads of cinnamon, clove, and cardamom. –Jeff Ames, Winemaker

The 2023 Pure Magic shows immediate notes of warm lilac, violet, lavender, and leather aromas, along with back notes of cinnamon and clove, then opens into the fruit spectrum – spiced plum, red currant, and black cherry. The hallmark of the wine’s entry is freshness, vibrancy, and depth. –Jeff Ames, Winemaker

The 2023 Oakville Cabernet returns to the darker side of the spectrum for our Oakville Cab after the slightly more red profile of 2022. This has tons of spice, clove, and bittersweet chocolate, along with just a little bit of that wet, damp earth. On the pallet, it is full weight and shows a little bit of smoked Texas beef brisket, black fruit, and a little bit of soy sauce, along with cedary dusty red earth. This is probably most similar to the 2021 Oakville, so it will be paired best with rich meats (I like it with venison) or just had on its own. –Jeff Ames, Winemaker

The 2023 Vaca Ridge Cabernet offers up a decidedly different aromatic profile than the rest of the 2023 Cabernets. This clearly shows its origins in the eastern Oakville hillside and the red rock iron-rich soils that dominate that side of the valley. This wine shows wet earth, iodine, leather, and cedar. On the palate, this has a much more compressed tannin profile than the wines from the west side of Oakville, with blood orange, Cloves, and black fruits. –Jeff Ames, Winemaker