This 2018 Pure Magic VHR is a co-ferment of Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot and it is stunning and a great example of a Bordeaux blend from this singular site nestled up against the western Oakville hillside. "The key to this wine is the co-ferment and the flavors that result from that. The palate is intensely rich and dense yet seamless at the same time," explains winemaker Jeff Ames. Very dark fruited and loaded with black fruits and baking/Christmas spices, this new offering was one of the highlights from last year's wine tasting at Tor's home. The final blend for this 2018 Red is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Petit Verdot. 150 cases were produced. 

The TOR house stands on the foundation of single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from very special blocks in what some consider First Growth or Premier Cru Napa Valley sites. To them, this is hallowed land, and in the case of Beckstoffer ToKalon and Vine Hill Ranch, land that has a long history of extraordinary wines. In ToKalon, winemaker Jeff Ames, works with five blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and two blocks of Cabernet Franc. In Vine Hill Ranch, he works with three blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and one block of Petit Verdot. In 2016 they experimented with co-fermenting the Petit Verdot with the Cabernet from VHR. "This is a very risky and daring experiment that blew us out of the water. If you’ve never exited the water in this fashion it is very exhilarating, so much so, we did it again with the Cabernet and the Franc from To Kalon. It is hard to explain how two completely different personalities merge during the process of fermentation to become such a ONE. We’ve blended them in the past after fermentation, with completely different results. The only explanation we’re working with now is it has to be PURE MAGIC." - Tor Kenward