Profile
The Monastery Block is less a singular block than a selection of parcels located on the western side of the To Kalon Vineyard, nestled against the foothills of the Mayacamas adjacent to the Carmelite Monastery from which it takes its name. The wine is produced from 100% Clone 169 Cabernet Sauvignon planted on well-drained gravelly soils, showing a classic Oakville expression that balances rich black fruit with minerality and a floral component. Elegant and classically styled, this wine is generous, layered, and fresh.
Vintage
This vintage had all the elements of a classic Napa Valley vintage, and for many, it offered redemption from the devastation of 2020. Throughout harvest, Thomas was very impressed with the color and concentration of the fruit we harvested. The quality of our fruit is a testament to the diligence and attention to detail of our vineyard team, who had their work cut out for them in a vintage that was, at times, wildly variable and marked by lingering drought and some unseasonable and sustained periods of high temperatures. These same elements that challenged our vineyard teams also created an ideal environment for our vines to produce low yields of small, intensely flavored berries that achieved peak ripeness and marked complexity. In crafting our 2021 wines, we aimed to showcase the balance of power and poise that we feel will be the hallmarks of the vintage.
Vineyards
First planted in 1868 by viticultural and winemaking icon Hamilton Crabb, To Kalon Vineyard has long been regarded as the source of Napa Valley’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Within the prime vineyard blocks, an alluvial fan provides excellent and varied mineral deposits and the rich soils are filled with marine sediment that gives our wines their distinctive profiles. Great wines start with great vineyards and a great winemaker. For nearly two decades, we have researched, trialed, and procured what we feel are the finest vineyard sites for producing benchmark Cabernets in the Napa Valley. This new exploration is truly worthy of the Schrader name.
96 – 98 points 96 – 98 points
“A beast of a wine, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard Monastery Block
comes from a single block and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe black fruits, graphite,
chalky minerality, and scorched earth define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and structured. It’s seriously good but is going to demand bottle age.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, 2.16.23
