TOR Kenward Vine Hill Ranch Pure Magic Red Blend 2021 - 750ml

96pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Tor's 2021 Pure Magic is a co-fermentation of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Cabernet Franc. While historically Pure Magic has come from either Vine Hill Ranch or To Kalon, the 2021 mixes sites. Initially a bit lifted, herbal and tea-like on the nose, those elements are soon joined by cassis and cherries. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, silky, elegant and complex, but it might not be the most concentrated of the 2021 reds from Tor.

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.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

2021 Pure Magic is again a co-fermentation, this vintage being Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The profile is an outlier amongst the vintage, with an exuberance, overt flesh and showiness that separates it from the herd. The blue and black fruit emanate from the glass, with bountiful blackberries, black tea, blueberries, and baking spices, leading to a tremendously long, silky finish. A true magic trick.

Vintage Report

The 2021 growing season began with January, February, and March rains totaling close to eight inches. The ground water led to more canopy than the previous warm 2020, but all of our sites are well drained and did not need significant canopy management. The vines were healthy but crop set was small, 20%-25% off normal, less than the previous four years. The summer was dry, no significant rains until October. By harvest, the clusters were uniformly small, provided high skin to juice ratio, giving us wines with structure wrapped around a core of dense fruit. In the barrel, these wines evolved slowly. After 20 months in barrel, the wines represent what we consider an outstanding Napa Valley vintage.