Tor Kenward's longtime winemaker Jeff Ames has produced a beautifully tight-knit wine here that will serve as a benchmark for this iconic vineyard in decades to come. Rich and heady aromas of elegant red- and black-toned fruits, crushed stones, earth, tobacco and chocolate, all of which comes together on the palate in perfect harmony. Palate-etching tannins frames the weighty, saturated dark fruits, which mingle with sweet cedar, herbs and crushed cocoa nibs. The alcohol is marvellously balanced by a firm backbone of refreshing acidity, and the fruit-driven finish is endless. A real tour de force. Just 10 barrels made.

For the first time, Tor's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon includes a fair whack of Cabernet Franc (14%), which winemaker Jeff Ames co-fermented with a portion of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Perhaps that is the source of the wine's delicate herbal shadings, adding complexity and freshness to the black cherry and cassis fruit. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and long, this is really super stuff, with tea-like notes emerging on the finish and lingering silky-dusty tannins.