2021 Tor Kenward "Pure Magic" Oakville Bordeaux Blend

“Tor Kenward's 'Pure Magic' red is named for the purely magical interaction he feels results from the co-fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot (15% in this vintage), then aged 18 months in French oak. Indeed, there's more synergy and polish. Leading with black currants, dusty herbs, and dried violet florals. Full-bodied, sporting intricate, sweet-scented, smoothly textured tannins with excellent freshness, energy, and tension. Black fruits are ripe and refined, and plenty of earthy minerality carries this wine, but it's the wonderful texture that provides the real magic here. (JC)” (03/2024)

“The 2021 Pure Magic is mostly co-ferments of Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes a solid splash of Cabernet Franc. It's a brilliant, inky-hued effort offering tons of minerality as well as full-bodied richness, ripe, building tannins, remarkable purity, and classic, unevolved aromatics of cassis, graphite, and crushed stone. It has loads of glycerin and baby fat, yet there's some rock-solid underlying structure. This layered, deep, concentrated 2021 should be at its best from 2028-2048+.” (12/2023)

“This has wonderful length and focus with racy fine tannins that go on for minutes. Medium body with tension and beauty. Extremely long and linear. A different nature to it. One for the cellar. Drink after 2026.” (11/2023)

“Based on co-ferments of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and drawing from several sites around Oakville, Tor's 2021 Pure Magic delivers a gorgeous mix of red and black fruit, suggesting red raspberries and black cherries. While never the biggest or most concentrated of Tor's numerous bottlings, this vintage is full-bodied yet especially silky textured. Framed by fine-grained tannins, this elegant offering is wonderfully balanced and long on the finish. (JC)” (07/2024)

“The 2021 Pure Magic is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Verdot co-ferment from Weitz. It offers tons of intensity with all the brooding, tannic heft typical of eastern Oakville. Dark and somber, with tons of resonance, the 2021 is quite the bruiser. I don't see the finesse of the best wines in the range, but the 2021 certainly delivers plenty of richness. It comes across as a bit riper than the other wines in this lineup, both in terms of its flavor profile and slight graininess in its tannins. (AG)” (12/2023)