Purlieu Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon 2017 – 750ml Unfiltered Unfined

95+pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard offers up a beautiful perfume of fruit cake, preserved plums, potpourri and blackberry preserves with nuances of exotic spices and fragrant earth. The full-bodied, decadently fruited palate is nicely juxtaposed by fantastic freshness and plush tannins, supporting loads of black fruit and earthy layers, finishing long and spicy.

“With Purlieu, I’m trying to bring something that is of Napa Valley standard, while making it a little more modern,” winemaker Julien Fayard told me as I sat to tasted his 2017s. Having been blown away by his 2016s and 2015s for this label, I was very keen to see how he performed given all the challenges of 2017. “In 2017 at least 30-40% of the wines were culled due to smoke taint,” he informed me. While it was clear that, like the rest of the valley, Fayard was thrown a curve ball in 2017, in the end I think he managed it admirably. – Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Winemaker Notes

The 2017 To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon proves once again the extraordinary beauty and consistency of this legendary old-vine vineyard. A dark fruit and earth-driven nose hints at the profusion of sweet amarena cherry, black licorice and forest floor notes waiting on the palate. Juicy plums and sweet spices linger through the endless finish, while fine-grained tannins promise further evolution to those with uncommon patience and self-restraint.  Production: 195 cases  AVA: Napa Valley