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| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2011 |
| Rating | NR |
| Bottle Size | 750 ml |
| Bottle Quantity | 1 |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Location | North Coast |
| Producer | MacDonald |
| Color | Red |
| Wine Type | Table |
| Rating | 2011 MacDonald To-Kalon Cabernet - Less than 100 cases produced MacDonald is a collaboration between brothers Alex and Graeme MacDonald. And though the label is new, their debut vintage was a 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon & their family roots in Napa go back to 1954. That was the year their great-grandparents bought a modest retirement property in Oakville that came with a vineyard called To-Kalon. After replanting the vineyard, the couple started selling grapes to Robert Mondavi, who used them first for his family's Charles Krug wines, then for his own Robert Mondavi label. Today To-Kalon is considered one of the most outstanding terroirs in Napa Valley, and many of Napa's most prestigious wines used grapes sourced from To-Kalon. The first vintages of MacDonald received highly complimentary reviews. Vinous wrote this about the 2010: in this vintage, the first commercial release, brothers Alex and Graeme MacDonald made a wine that has no problem sitting alongside Napa Valley's long established stars. This is a fabulous showing. There certainly aren't many opportunities these days for a couple of bright, ambitious young brothers to get their hands on a piece of To Kalon, unless, of course, they just happen to also be hideously wealthy. What Alex and Graeme MacDonald may lack in financial resources, they make up for in birth rights and gumption. That is, they had the good fortune to be the grandchildren of a couple who were coerced into buying a retirement property with far more acreage than they would have liked, which just happened to include a choice section of To Kalon, planted to cherry trees at the time. In 1954, they were begrudged about paying $500 an acre. After grubbing up cherry trees and planting grapes, the fruit was sold exclusively to Robert Mondavi for 60 years. Of course, today the MacDonald family has hit pay dirt. This wasn't my first visit to the MacDonalds little cottage in the middle of To Kalon, but it was my first visit to review the wines. 2010 was the first commercial vintage for MACDONALD, although production that year was miniscule less than 100 cases. Today, production is not exactly whopping at around 350 cases, but it is enough so that the brothers can start to break even. Most of the fruit from the 15-acre vineyard comes from vines aged 45-65 years old, including a block of vines planted by Alex and Graeme's grandfather. Graeme is now also the winemaker at Blankiet a very different vineyard and style yet another impressive example of what this talented up-and-coming winemaker is capable of. My advice? Get on this mailing list while you still can. |
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| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| Vintage | 2011 |
| Rating | NR |
| Barrels |
French Oak |
| Style |
Cabernet |
| Owners |
Alex & Graeme Macdonald & Family |
| Region | North Coast |
| Location | Oakville |
| Producer | MacDonald Vineyards |
| Winemaker |
Graeme MacDonald |
| Production |
110 cases (approx) |
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