2022 ELIZA'S RED WINE

2022 ELIZA'S RED WINE

Eliza Yount was a colorful character in Napa Valley wine history–widow to the founder of nearby Yountville and one-time owner of a quiet corner of To Kalon Vineyard, along Walnut Lane, that is now home to our coveted planting of Cabernet Franc. With this wine, our aim is to showcase the layers of depth and complexity that Cabernet Franc can exhibit when the variety is grown in such rarified earth as To Kalon. Aromas of black licorice, black raspberry, rose hips, and cigar box give way to bright Bing cherry, cranberry, cocoa nibs, and cola. This wine leads the palate with pronounced Cabernet Franc aromatics and finishes with the powerful tannin and concentration of Cabernet.

  • Vintage 2022
  • Vineyard To Kalon Vineyard
  • Appellation Oakville, Napa Valley
  • Varietal 54% Cabernet Franc, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Cooperage 100% New French Oak
  • Winemaker Tony Biagi

  • Accolades

    The 2022 Eliza's Red Wine is 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a bit less Franc than in 2021, despite winemaker Tony Biagi's assertion that this variety stood out in 2022. It's certainly a bit smoother and more elegant than the 2022 Highest Beauty but remains full-bodied and open-knit, marked by leafy and floral notes set against a backdrop of black cherries and dusty earth. Hedonistic and forward, it should be consumed over the next decade or so.

     

    – Joe Czerwinski, RobertParker.com

  • Vintage

    The 2022 vintage serves as a bookend to California’s historic drought, with limited water availability shaping the growing season. Early on, these conditions set the stage for lower yields and intensely concentrated fruit. Summer brought periods of elevated temperatures, culminating in an unprecedented Labor Day heatwave that rapidly accelerated ripening, quickly followed by much needed rainfall, offering brief relief. Despite these extremes, Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot flourished under meticulous vineyard and canopy management. Guided by Winemaker Tony Biagi’s expertise in precise harvest timing, our 2022 portfolio showcases remarkable concentration, firm structure, and ripe tannins, a testament to To Kalon Vineyard’s enduring resilience and legacy.