2018 Tor Kenward "Black Magic" Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend

“The 2018 'Black Magic' is once again a showstopper from Tor. This magnificent wine slowly begins to open revealing its deep seductive aromatics of black cherries and blackcurrants, which are joined by fresh violets, graphite and dusty minerals along with hints of exotic sweet spices and dark chocolate shavings that all come together and emerge gracefully from the glass. On the palate this continues to impress with its stunning full-bodied texture, beautifully polished tannins and incredible sense of freshness. It goes on to display outstanding overall structure and balance, as well as incredible depth and concentration all the way through the long, utterly delicious finish that seems to carry on forever. This is a truly majestic wine that checks all the boxes, and while it is nothing short of sensational at this early stage, it should also go on to have a tremendous future, providing drinking pleasure for many years to come. (JD)” (10/2020)

“Always a selection of the top lots in a vintage, the 2018 Black Magic is based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's another incredible wine from this talented team, revealing a saturated purple color and notes of blueberries, cassis, white flowers, candied violets, graphite, smoked tobacco, and chocolate. Full-bodied and powerful, yet built like high fashion with sensational elegance, it has flawless tannins, perfect balance, and a gorgeous finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. (JD)” (01/2021)

“A barrel selection of the best of the vintage, this year coming from Vine Hill Ranch and To Kalon, the 2018 Proprietary Red Black Magic has a proportion of the Cabernet Sauvignon co-fermented with Petit Verdot, blended with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Very deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a fair bit of coaxing before rolling seductively out of the glass with scents of crème de cassis, baked plums and boysenberries plus nuances of tar, licorice, Indian spices and unsmoked cigars with a waft of pencil lead. This is big, rich and full-bodied, while the palate is powerful and has bags of energy, delivering impressive tension and firm, grainy tannins, finishing with fantastic length and many, many layers. (LPB)” (11/2020)

“The 2018 Black Magic is another stunning wine in this range from Tor. Silky, seamless and exceptionally vivid, the 2018 is magnificent. Dried flowers, cherry, mint, blood orange, spice, and mocha fill out the layers. This plush, racy Cabernet is showing so well today to make me think it will be ready with relatively minimal cellaring. The 2018 is positively dazzling. Black magic is built on a core from Vine Hill Ranch, plus fruit from another very highly regarded site. (AG)” (10/2021)

“This wonderful red shows poise and tension with blackberry, blackcurrant and chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s full and very tight with beautiful fruit and a long, intense finish. All Vine Hill Ranch and To Kalon. Tight now, but already a joy to taste.” (02/2021)