The inaugural 2018 vintage of the Schrader Heritage Clone is bursting with ripe black and purple fruit. Hailing from the N2S block in To Kalon Vineyard, this wine is dense and bright with an excellent palate and fine-grained tannins. We are excited to see how this wine develops with age in bottle, as it is promising already.
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 grapes. 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. The vines receive full sun and optimal heat during the day and are cooled by marine fog at night. These conditions allow the Cabernet Sauvignon planted in the vineyard to display its own unique character, and this celebration of individuality is the essence of Schrader.
Wine Advocate Review:
This is the very first vintage of this new label for Schrader. True to Schrader form, the wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single block in the southern part of Mondavi’s section of To Kalon vineyard. The “Heritage Clone,” a.k.a. clone 39, is pretty much exclusive to Mondavi To Kalon, with the exception of some cuttings Robert Mondavi may have given out. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown noted that this clone produces very small bunches and tiny berries, equating to super intense fruit. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mondavi Heritage Clone To Kalon Vineyard was aged in 100% new Darnajou and Taransaud French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of stewed blueberries, plum preserves, Chinese five spice and fragrant earth, giving way to hints of beef drippings, iron ore, espresso, tobacco leaf and dried roses. Medium-bodied, it has a firm, chewy texture and loads of bright, lively freshness lifting the densely packed berry preserves layers, finishing very long and very spicy. This is certainly a singular style—somewhat atypical for the 2018 vintage, but nonetheless compelling. Anticipated Maturity: 2023-2045
