This wine exemplifies why Oakville is the premiere Napa Valley appellation for Cabernet.
Releases February 2026 | Download fact sheet
WINEMAKER JEFF AMES’ NOTEBOOK:
Vineyard: Our TOR Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon hails from two incredible vineyards that we are blessed to work with in the Oakville appellation – Double H Ranch (Harter) Vineyard, and Renteria 360 Vineyard. Double H Ranch Vineyard is a jewel on the western slopes of the Vaca Range. The iron-rich site gives 2023 Oakville its signature dark fruit and perfumed characteristics. The Renteria 360 Vineyard is in the northeastern part of Oakville and has a long history of producing excellent wines.
Winemaking: This is a mix of fruit from the Renteria 360 vineyard on Skellenger Lane and the Harter Vineyard in the Eastern Oakville hills. These two sites were fermented apart but then blended back together at numerous blending trials over the last 15 months. This year’s Oakville Cabernet reminds me more of the great pre-phylloxera vintages of the early ‘90s than any vintage I can think of.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: 2024 Oakville Cabernet comes across as a completely different beast than previous vintages. Where past vintages were mostly black fruit, the 2024 vintage is a mix of red and black. The weather conditions in 2024 provided a more mixed profile of the wine, highlighting red cherry, raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, and graphite. The acidity in this vintage provides additional lift and the graphite/mineral profile.
Vintage Report: 2024 shoots pushed in early spring with vigor due to excellent groundwater and warm conditions, forming healthy canopies. Before veraison, in June and into July, Napa experienced two short heat spikes which accelerated ripening. It was an early start for the vineyards, and an early harvest for the winemakers, a bit fast and furious toward the end, but overall one we all fondly look back on as special. The wines have great color, extract, layers of flavor, excellent #s (PH/TA/dry extract/etc..). 2024 is reminiscent of some of the great vintages of the past like 1987 and 1991, that have aged extremely well.
