The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon impresses for its persistence and overall balance. Black cherries, plums, smoke, tobacco, menthol and licorice all flesh out in a beautifully layered, deeply expressive Cabernet loaded with character. This 2011 is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon with considerable near-term appeal. Hints of bacon fat, game, and grilled herbs linger on a distinctly sauvage finish.

Not surprisingly, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard possesses the sweetest tannins as well as the biggest, sexiest nose of red and black fruits, licorice, incense and camphor. Soft, round, and not as concentrated as the greatest vintages, it is a sensual, lovely, opulent Cabernet to enjoy over the next decade. Alpha Omega, which has been in existence for nearly a decade, is located in a handsome building on Highway 29. The wines are made by Jean Hoefliger, teamed with the famous globe-trotting Bordeaux oenologist, Michel Rolland. I have noticed incremental improvement in these cuvées, and the 2011s generally performed well.