Wine tasting in Tokyo: Jason Smith

On a warm October day in Tokyo, 30 of Japan’s top wine connoisseurs gathered at the grand Peninsula Hotel with excitement and anticipation to get a first taste of Schrader Cellars’ 2024 release.

For nearly 25 years, Schrader Cellars has produced some of the finest, most sought-after cabernet sauvignon from the Napa Valley. Since its first vintage from its To Kalon Vineyard, Schrader Cellars has been awarded 40 100-point scores from the most stringent critics in the world, more than any other winery in Napa Valley.

As the wine is poured, barely a whisper can be heard as each expert holds their glass up to the light, swirls the rich, inky red liquid and begins their evaluation.

"Our 2024 release includes two vintages," Master Sommelier Jason Smith says, addressing the assembly. "Our Schrader Cellars 2022 vintage wines are beautiful, accessible and delicious right now. They’ll be wonderful in the short-to-medium term.

"We also have two wines from To Kalon Vineyard Company 2021, which are more structured and age-worthy. In that sense, this year’s release offers the best of both worlds."

To Kalon Vineyard Company

Located in the heart of Napa Valley and named after the Ancient Greek for ‘The Beautiful’, the To Kalon Vineyard was first planted back in 1868. Thanks to its Mediterranean climate and deep soils, its wines have been recognized, coveted and sought after for their elusive and singular quality, making it the number one vineyard in North America and one of the top 10 vineyards globally.

The first of these wines to be sampled is Eliza’s Red Wine 2021, a blend of 60 percent cabernet sauvignon and 40 percent cabernet franc, produced by the To Kalon Vineyard Company. Named after Eliza Yount, who served as the proprietor of a portion of To Kalon Vineyard at one point in the vineyard’s long history, this wine highlights the varietal’s ability to shine with layers of depth and complexity.

"Cabernet franc always shows itself in the aromatics, especially more so than the cabernet sauvignon," Smith explains. "Its high-toned herbal and vegetable notes always come through and are especially exciting."

Next to be tasted is Highest Beauty, a 2021 cabernet sauvignon, also produced by the To Kalon Vineyard Company. This 100 percent cabernet sauvignon is sourced from blocks throughout To Kalon Vineyard that have been hand-selected and painstakingly crafted to capture the purest expression of To Kalon Vineyard in any given vintage.

"This wine has dark fruit notes and some beautiful floral violet tones, with exceptional balance and energy," Smith says while savoring the wine. "To Kalon Vineyard is known for always giving that brightness of acidity that makes your mouth water."

Schrader Cellars

The next wines to be decanted are the Schrader Cellars 2022 vintage. Known for their opulent, lush and fruit-forward style, Schrader Cellars wines never tip over into excess, always maintaining a focus on balance, purity and structure.

This is thanks to the talent of Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, whose gift for reading the vines and recognizing the choicest blocks for sourcing has made him one of the most renowned winemakers in the world.

"Cabernet sauvignon is a variety that demands the perfect balance of intuition and exactitude and is not forgiving of mistakes," Smith explains.

"One of the biggest mistakes is to make cabernet sauvignon with a formula, relying on data over experience. Schrader Cellars wines are made with as non-interventionist methods as possible – spontaneous fermentation with native ambient yeasts, minimal sulfur additions, no fining or filtering."

Notably, Schrader Cellars’ 2022 vintage marks a significant shift for the company as it’s the first vintage produced entirely from Robert Mondavi-owned To Kalon and Wappo Hill. This move allows Schrader Cellars to be in charge of the farming 100 percent, from beginning to end, Smith says.

"In 2022, we made four different cabernet sauvignon. They’re all 100 percent cabernet and 100 percent new French oak, but they express different portions of the vineyard or different vineyards."

The first of which is the 2022 Schrader To Kalon, matured in 100 percent new Darnajou and Taransaud French Oak barriques.

"This is a fresh, lively and refreshing wine, despite 2022 being the warmest year on record," he explains. "Some Napa Valley cabernets can be over the top in ripeness or richness, but Schrader wines keep you going back to the glass because of how delicious they are."

Next up is the 2022 Schrader Cellars Monastery Block, named after the Carmelite Monastery, which it sits beside at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains.

"With this wine, you get a grip from the tannin, a bright level of acidity, as well as a great richness and depth that makes the wine delicious, even at two years old," he adds.

As the attendees nod in agreement, the 2022 Schrader Cellars Heritage Clone is poured. The grapes of this clone are incredibly small, producing wine that’s very dark in color but maintains a wonderful brightness in acidity, Smith says.

Finally, the attendees are treated to Schrader Cellars 2021 Old Sparky, a 100-point wine, not part of the 2024 release, but a treat nonetheless.

"What makes Old Sparky unique for us is that it’s a barrel sample where our winemaker goes through the cellar and selects the very best barrels to make the top wine that we can. We’ve achieved 40 100-point wines for the Schrader portfolio over the years, but the majority are for Old Sparky," Smith reveals.

As the attendees savor the last of their samples, many wonder whether these newly released vintages have what it takes to win the annual wine awards yet again.

"I’m unbelievably happy with these wines, but for us, the awards are a bonus," Smith says with a smile. "We win every time someone pulls a cork on one of our bottles and they have an amazing experience. Receiving accolades or the wine of the year is just the icing on the cake."