Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2019

When Alejandro Bulgheroni set his sights on the Napa Valley, he brought along his decades of experience as a businessman in Argentina. However, his passion for wine began when he walked on a rocky hillside on a ranch in Uruguay. He sensed a magical quality about the site and wanted to give that land a more meaningful purpose. Despite grapes having never been planted in the region, he planted his first five vineyard blocks and launched Bodega Garzón in Uruguay, his opening venture into the wine business. A lifelong rancher, Alejandro quickly became interested in the profound connection between wine and land. Ever since, he has been an innovator in the wine industry on a global scale, creating and nurturing sustainable wine projects in Uruguay, Argentina, Australia, Tuscany and, beginning in 2014, Napa Valley with the creation of Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate. 

The Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate sits south of Meadowood and Bill Harlan's Napa Valley Reserve in Saint Helena. In 1975, under the ownership of Jim & Nena Talcott, the first grapes were planted, and a charming stone winery was built. The property then served as the 'Founder's Room' for Bill Harlan's portfolio of wines and where Harlan's Napa Valley Reserve wines were first produced. Today, after transforming the property through winery renovations, vineyard replantings (spearheaded by Vineyard Manager, Jim Barbour), and the addition of caves for barrel aging, Bulgheroni has established this as one of the most prestigious Napa Valley Estates. Behind the winemaking team is worldwide, legendary consultants Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland. Lithology, meaning "the study of terroir," is the name given to Bulgheroni's study of three of Napa Valley's most famed and historic vineyards: Beckstoffer To Kalon, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane, and Beckstoffer Las Piedras. Though all are unique and beautifully exhibit the terroir of each vineyard, there is an underlying thread that ties them all together. These three bottlings share the same characteristics as the greatest wines crafted by this extraordinary duo of winemakers: Deeply rich, luxuriously textured, and exquisitely complex. 

This special bottling comes from the legendary Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. The story of To Kalon begins in 1868, when Hamilton Walker Crabb, an Ohio native who moved west in pursuit of gold, landed in Napa Valley and purchased 240 acres in Oakville. After farming various crops, Crabb eventually turned his focus to wine grapes and named his land Hermosa Vineyards. He bought two adjacent parcels in 1879 and 1891. In 1886, Crabb renamed his winery and the vineyard To Kalon, Greek for "the place of highest beauty." Today, To Kalon is perhaps the most famous vineyard in the United States, carrying a fabled chronicle of its legacy and ownership. Andy Beckstoffer purchased it from Beaulieu Vineyards in 1993, and then in 1994, he replanted the vineyard to multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Since then, it has produced some of Napa Valley's best and most highly coveted vineyard-designate wines. In 2007 the To Kalon Vineyard was placed under a land conservation easement that forever prohibits non-agricultural development, proving that this vineyard truly is a California treasure. 

"Darker cassis, violets, redcurrants, new leather, and flowery incense notes all emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lithology Beckstoffer To Talon Vineyard, a quintessential expression of this Grand Cru terroir in Oakville. With full-bodied richness, a deep, opulent mouthfeel, and incredible purity, it has the rare sense of power without weight that’s the hallmark of this incredible terroir. The 2019 is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, aged 20 months in 71% new French oak. Drink it over the coming two decades." ~Jeb Dunnuck, 99 Points.