To Kalon Vineyard

To Kalon, Ancient Greek for “the highest beauty”, is the vineyard that provides Robert Mondavi Winery with most of the grapes for its world-class Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon and is the exclusive source of Sauvignon Blanc for the estate bottled Fumé Blanc Reserve and I Block Fumé Blanc.

Nestled at the edge of the Mayacamas Mountains in the center of Napa Valley it receives just enough morning fog and full day sun to produce Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with complex layers of cassis, wild berries, licorice and spice. Firm, well-integrated tannins support these rich flavors. Sauvignon Blanc from the vineyard exhibits complex citrus and floral characteristics. The region’s bale clay loam, alluvial soils provide excellent drainage, and develop deep rooting grapevines that sustain the vines during the region’s long dry summers.

Pioneer viticulturist H.W. Crabb first planted sections of this vineyard in 1868. The Robert Mondavi Winery was built on part of that historic site almost 100 years later in 1966. Portions of the winery’s current To Kalon Vineyard were planted as early as 1945, and several of the winery’s wines come from blocks between 25 and 35 years old. These older vines were protected from phylloxera by their St. George rootstock.

By 1978, Robert Mondavi had acquired 250 acres of Crabb’s original 359 acre vineyard including some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Napa Valley and what some believe to be the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in the western hemisphere. Today, Robert Mondavi Winery’s To Kalon Vineyard encompasses 550 acres.

Planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon vines, To Kalon is also home to our cherished I-Block where we have 60 year old Sauvignon Blanc vines that give us the wonderfully complex fruit for our I Block Fumé Blanc. Additional varieties planted in the vineyard include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot, Syrah and Semillon. The Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon, and Fumé Blanc Reserve reflect the outstanding character of this historic vineyard.