Wines

2023 TOR
Pure Magic Inquire

The 2023 Pure Magic shows immediate notes of warm lilac, violet, lavender and leather aromas, along with back notes of cinnamon and clove, then opens into the fruit spectrum – spiced plum, red currant and black cherry. The hallmark of the wine’s entry is freshness, vibrancy, and depth.

2023 TOR
Black Magic Inquire

The 2023 Black Magic leans toward the darker more brooding end of a wine’s fruit profile. Very complex notes of spiced black plum, cassis, along with hints of cardamom, anise, a sense of petrichor, with notes of bitter chocolate, espresso, and graphite. It’s somehow intense and powerful, yet elegant and lithe on the palate.

2023 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon
Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville Releases September 2025

The 2023 Beckstoffer To Kalon has perhaps a little bit more black fruit in it than it typically does because of how late the vintage was and how cold the vintage was, but it still has the shading of red fruit that is so classic in this vineyard. This has the aromatics that kind of remind me of the classic wines from the mid-70s in Napa, where you have a bit of umami as well as earth allied to the powerful fruit. On the palate, this is all silk and polish. There was not a hard edge to be found anywhere on this wine, from the beginning to the end, it’s completely round and seamless.

–Jeff Ames, Winemaker

• 99 points – International Wine Report
• 96-99 points – Antonio Galloni
• 97-99 points – Wine Advocate

2023 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard, St. Helena Releases September 2025

Anytime somebody says Napa Cabernet all tastes the same, this is my “Hold my beer!” vineyard that I pour a glass of that can only come from Dr. Crane and nowhere else. The nose on Dr. Crane is always super unique with its almost crystallized expression of fruit.  This does not have the intense black fruit that Vine Hill does, and it expresses its red fruit completely differently than To Kalon does. This has spicy raspberry, vibrant rose petal, African spices, dry earth, and dark chocolate. The lift and the freshness on the palate are part of what makes this one so unique. It’s almost as if all the fruit within the wine was given an electric shock. One of those true wines where, if you’ve seen the soil within the vineyard when you try the wine, you can taste the soil.

• 98 points – International Wine Report
• 95-98 points – Antonio Galloni
• 96-98 points – Wine Advocate

2023 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon
Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard, Oakville Releases September 2025

The 2023 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet is quite possibly my favorite Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet from Tor to date. This year’s version has copious black fruits, a stacked mid-pallet, and has an aromatic profile that I’ve come to associate with the best vintages out of Vine Hill Ranch, which is the slow-smoked bark on a brisket from Texas, Franklin Barbecue. As dense and rich as this wine is, it has remarkable smoothness on the finish and follow-through with more ripe blackberry, black cherry, and just a tiny bit of Dr Pepper. I think the 23 will be like the 2018, where it will be very drinkable on release, but will only get better.

–Jeff Ames, Winemaker

• 98 points – International Wine Report
• 94-96 points – Antonio Galloni
• 96-98 points – Wine Advocate

2023 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville Inquire

The 2023 Oakville Cabernet returns to the darker side of the spectrum for our Oakville cab after the slightly more red profile of 2022. This has tons of spice, clove, and bittersweet chocolate along with just a little bit of that wet, damp earth. On the pallet, it is full weight and shows a little bit of smoked Texas beef brisket, black fruit, and a little bit of soy sauce along with cedary dusty red earth. This is probably most similar to the 2021 Oakville so will be paired best with rich meats (I like it with venison) or just had on its own.

–Jeff Ames, Winemaker

• 95 points – James Suckling

2022 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon
Vaca Ridge Vineyard, Oakville Inquire

The 2022 Vaca Ridge Cabernet exhibits a darker fruit core than most wines from 2022. This wine leans toward the wet granite, graphite side of the Cabernet spectrum, more so than other 2022 Cabernets. The mid-palate is firm but supported by notes of blackberries, slow-cooked meats, and black cherries. The finish is long. From hillsides overlooking the Rutherford AVA just below Pritchard Hill.

• 96 points – International Wine Report
• 95 points – James Suckling
• 94 points – Jeb Dunnuck

2021 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon
Melanson Vineyard, Pritchard Hill Inquire

Our 2021 Melanson has an additional level of richness and a slightly higher level of black fruits over the typical red fruit spectrum that Pritchard Hill typically provides. An amazingly rich and seamless mid to back palate that shows off its mountain terroir. This will be the longest-lived Melanson we have ever made, an homage to the majesty of Pritchard Hill. Deep, dark, and opulent.

• 98 points – International Wine Report
• 97 points – Jeb Dunnuck
• 96 points – James Suckling
• 96 points – Wine Advocate
• 95 points – Antonio Galloni

2023 TOR Chardonnay
HS, Napa Valley Inquire

In 2023 the HS Chardonnay shows the tremendous focus and precision that came from the Beresini and Hyde vineyards in Carneros. This year the best barrel selections from these two sites have honeysuckle and the classic oyster shell/saline quality as well as a bit of wisteria. With this, I am thinking of a crab dish like Dungeness and maybe some clarified butter and sourdough.

–Jeff Ames, Winemaker

2023 TOR Chardonnay
Cuvée Susan, Hyde Vineyard, Carneros Inquire

The 2023 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay shows a bit more lanolin and richness than in previous years. It’s a little thicker and denser on the palate. This wine displays magnolia blossoms, daffodils, Asian pear, and just a touch of honeydew melon, along with the slightest hint of ginger. To me, this is a wine that pairs perfectly with something like lobster or perhaps fatty Ahi.

–Jeff Ames, Winemaker

• 98 points – James Suckling

2023 TOR Chardonnay
Cuvée Torchiana, Beresini Vineyard, Carneros Inquire

The 2023 Beresini vineyard shows honeysuckle, violet, and notes of oyster shell (think white Burgundy) minerality. On the palate, it is medium in weight with great length, and perhaps a little bit more silky than in previous years. The acidity in this wine is incredibly well integrated. It is there, and you can perceive it because of the freshness on the palate, but it is not something that stands out. I tend to view Beresini as a wine to be served with heavier seafood, like crab and butter. However, this year’s version is more of a wine to be paired with sushi or shrimp (shrimp tempura would be perfect).

–Jeff Ames, Winemaker

• 97 points – James Suckling

2022 TOR Chasing Windmills Rhone Blend
Fulldraw Vineyard Inquire

The 2022 Chasing Windmills has a dark garnet/blood red ruby color and shows mint/wet tree bark/loads of marionberry and currants as well as some lingering plum on the finish. This medium/full-weight beauty will benefit from an hour of decanting with more effusive aromatics and a more extended finish.

2018 TOR Old Vines Petite Sirah
Palisades Vineyard, Napa Valley Sold out

The 2018 petite Sirah immediately shows loads of creosote, dark dark black cherries and black raspberry reduction. The palate shows the slightly lifted acidity and structure typical of the 2018 vintage and an amazingly long finish.

2018 TOR
Noble ROT Late Harvest Sold out

Decadent, sweet wine inspired by Chateau d’Yquem, nobly rotten Semillon & Sauvignon Blanc, aged in French barriques.