Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Winemaker Jeff Ames says “The 2022 Pure Magic shows again the beauty of fermenting different blocks together and the additional nuances and complexities that are achieved by co-fermentation. This wine shows a seamless entrance of black cherries, violets and white pepper. The mid palate on this year‘s Pure Magic is classic Pure Magic with complete front to back and side to side sweet/round tannin saturation. There really is no perception of mid palate transition to the finish, they both melt together into the classic peacocks tail of dark chocolate and espresso which both linger on the finish.”

Vintage Report: Winemaker Jeff Ames and Tor Kenward have collectively witnessed over 70 harvests, and cannot compare 2022 to any of them. Some winemakers said it was four vintages in one, with the wild swings in temperature, small crop, and small picking windows made it one we call “ a winemaker’s year”. Those who nailed the right picking windows for each block made exceptional wines. Our Beckstoffer Dr. Crane blocks formed the core of this Pure Magic.

Tor’s Note: In 2001, the TOR house was built and stood on the foundation of single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from very special blocks in vineyards we consider among Napa Valley’s finest. Great wines sometimes require risk and a leap of faith. Both paths led us to our first Pure Magic wines, based on co-fermenting Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot with Cabernet Sauvignon from a single vineyard. The decision is made only when the grapes are picked, not before or after, and it’s based on a winemaker’s instinct honed through decades of experience. It is a gamble because the decision cannot be reversed, the genie cannot return to the lamp. In the best years, our genie grants our wish with a wine whose sum exceeds its parts. In those years, we call this wine – Pure Magic.

Watch the meaning behind TOR Magic below…

Cooper Kenward – Editor
Robby Piantanida – Director of Photography and Colorist