To Kalon Vineyard

The story of To Kalon begins in 1868, when Hamilton Walker Crabb, an Ohio native who had come west in pursuit of gold, purchased 240 acres in Oakville, Napa Valley. He initially farmed a variety of crops before focusing on wine grapes, building his first winery in 1872 and naming the estate Hermosa Vineyards. By 1877, Crabb was producing 50,000 gallons of wine annually from 130 planted acres. In 1881, he purchased an adjacent 119-acre parcel from Eliza Yount for $12,000, expanding the estate to approximately 359 acres in total. In 1886, Crabb officially renamed both his winery and vineyard To Kalon, from the Greek meaning 'the highest beauty, or the highest good,' as he himself put it. Under Crabb, To Kalon became one of the most ambitious viticultural enterprises in California, employing nearly 100 people and eventually reaching a production capacity of 800,000 gallons. Crabb grew over 400 grape varieties on the property, imported noble varieties from France, and was a leading figure in early research on phylloxera-resistant rootstock. He established wine depots as far afield as Washington DC, New Orleans, and New York, and famously poured To Kalon wine from a thirty-foot fountain at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Crabb died in 1899, his estate burdened by debt caused in part by phylloxera's devastation of his vineyards.

• Crabb purchased the initial 240-acre parcel from Eugene L. Sullivan in 1868 and a second 119-acre parcel from Eliza Yount in 1881, cementing the vineyard's historical boundaries
• The name To Kalon was officially adopted in 1886; Crabb described it as meaning 'the highest beauty, or the highest good, but I try to make it mean the boss vineyard'
• Crabb grew over 400 grape varieties, imported French noble cuttings, and was a pioneer in the search for phylloxera-resistant rootstock
• By 1890, production capacity had reached 800,000 gallons, and To Kalon wines were distributed nationally through depots in major US cities

After Crabb's death in 1899, To Kalon passed to banker E.S. Churchill through a public auction to recover debts. Churchill's family continued wine production under the To Kalon name and continued Crabb's viticultural legacy. A pivotal moment came in 1903, when the Churchill family leased a 20-acre parcel to the United States Department of Agriculture, which established an experimental vineyard station at Oakville. This research site, later managed by UC Davis, played a crucial role in developing phylloxera-resistant rootstock and remains active today as Oakville Station, managing approximately 40 acres. Wine production under the Churchill family continued until Prohibition in 1920, and the winery operated briefly in bulk after Repeal before the winery building burned down in 1939. Following the fire, the Churchill estate sold: approximately 335 acres went to San Francisco steel manufacturer Martin Stelling, who called the entire property Tokalon Vineyards and had grand plans for a world-class estate, but died in 1950 before realizing them. Notably, Martin Stelling planted Sauvignon Blanc in I-Block in 1945, establishing what would become one of Napa's most historic white wine parcels. After Stelling's death, the estate was broken up and sold in pieces, with 89 acres going to Beaulieu Vineyards, which used the grapes for its Beaulieu Vineyard #4 Cabernets under legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff.

• The USDA established the Oakville Experimental Vineyard on the Churchill property in 1903, making To Kalon one of the most important viticultural research sites in California
• The original To Kalon winery building burned to the ground in 1939, effectively ending continuous commercial wine production on the estate
• Martin Stelling purchased approximately 335 acres after 1939 and planted Sauvignon Blanc in the now-famous I-Block in 1945
• After Stelling's death in 1950, the estate was sold in parcels; 89 acres became Beaulieu Vineyard #4, the source of Andre Tchelistcheff's celebrated Rutherford Cabernets

The modern renown of To Kalon is inseparably linked to Robert Mondavi. In 1966, Mondavi established his namesake winery on historic To Kalon land, the first major winery built in Napa Valley in the three decades since Prohibition's repeal. Through a series of acquisitions, including the purchase of 325 acres for C. Mondavi and Sons in 1958, Mondavi became the vineyard's majority landowner by 1978, when he consolidated his holdings following his settlement with brother Peter. In 1981, Mondavi sold the 35-acre Q Block to the Mondavi-Rothschild joint venture that became Opus One; in 2008, Opus One acquired another 48 acres known as K Block. Mondavi revived the To Kalon name commercially, applying it first to the 1986 vintage of Fumé Blanc Reserve, and releasing the first To Kalon Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in 1997. The iconic I-Block Fumé Blanc, sourced from dry-farmed, head-trained Sauvignon Blanc vines planted in 1945, became one of Napa's most celebrated and historically significant white wines, produced in under 100 cases per vintage. Mondavi applied for the To Kalon trademark in 1987 (registered 1988) and registered 'To Kalon Vineyard' in 1994. Constellation Brands acquired all of Mondavi's holdings, including these trademarks, in a $1.36 billion deal in 2004.

• Robert Mondavi established his winery on To Kalon land in 1966 and consolidated full ownership of his Crabb-parcel holdings by 1978
• Mondavi sold the 35-acre Q Block to the Opus One joint venture in 1981; Opus One later acquired a further 48 acres (K Block) in 2008
• The To Kalon name first appeared on a Mondavi wine with the 1986 vintage of Fumé Blanc Reserve; the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon followed in 1997
• The ultra-rare I-Block Fumé Blanc is produced from dry-farmed Sauvignon Blanc vines planted in 1945 and is bottled in under 100 cases annually

To Kalon occupies a prized position on the western Oakville benchland, stretching from Highway 29 westward toward the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. This location gives the vineyard a unique combination of influences: warm daytime temperatures from the north valley and cooling afternoon breezes and morning fog carried in from San Pablo Bay to the south. The vineyard sits atop a complex mosaic of soils. The western portions closest to the mountains feature gravelly loam with high mineral content derived from alluvial fans and sedimentary volcanic deposits from the Mayacamas, providing excellent drainage and limiting vine vigor, forcing roots to search deep for water and nutrients. Moving toward the valley floor, soils become deeper, incorporating loam and clay. This variety within the vineyard means harvest windows can span nearly a month between the earliest and latest blocks, with the highest-gravel sections near the Mayacamas ripening significantly earlier. The low-fertility, well-drained soils and optimal sun exposure, combined with the gently sloping benchland topography, are widely credited as the foundation of the vineyard's extraordinary ability to produce Cabernet Sauvignon of remarkable concentration, structure, and aging potential. Beckstoffer To Kalon in particular sits at the base of the Mayacamas where gravelly loam soils with volcanic mineral content yield what winemakers describe as a unique combination of mountain-like density with the richness of valley floor fruit.

• To Kalon sits on the western Oakville benchland, running from Highway 29 to the Mayacamas foothills, benefiting from both northern valley warmth and southern cooling influences
• Soils are primarily gravelly loam on alluvial fans near the mountains, transitioning to deeper loam and clay toward the valley floor, all with excellent natural drainage
• Low vine fertility and well-drained conditions stress vines beneficially, driving deep root development and concentration of flavor in the fruit
• Harvest windows within the vineyard can span nearly a month, with the highest-gravel western blocks near the Mayacamas ripening earliest

Few vineyards in the world have generated as much legal controversy as To Kalon, and the battles over its name cut to the heart of a fundamental question in American wine: can a geographic place be trademarked as a brand? Robert Mondavi registered 'To Kalon' as a trademark in 1988 and 'To Kalon Vineyard' in 1994. In 2000, Andy Beckstoffer began selling his grapes to producers under the To Kalon name. When Schrader Cellars labeled its 2000 vintage as 'Beckstoffer Original To Kalon Vineyard,' Robert Mondavi Winery sued Schrader in 2002 for trademark infringement. Beckstoffer countersued, arguing Mondavi was misleading consumers by blending grapes from outside the original Crabb boundaries into To Kalon-labeled wines. The case was eventually settled, granting Beckstoffer the right to use 'Beckstoffer To Kalon' on wines made from his portion of the vineyard. A fresh legal battle began in 2019 when The Vineyard House, owned by Jeremy Nickel, sued Constellation to cancel the trademark, arguing that landowners within the historic boundaries should be able to use the name. In January 2021, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in favor of Constellation, granting a permanent injunction against The Vineyard House's use of To Kalon. The U.S. Board of Geographic Names, which had officially named a small creek running through the vineyard 'To Kalon Creek' in 2017, reversed itself in August 2025, renaming it Doak Creek after Constellation petitioned that 'To Kalon' is a brand, not a place.

• Mondavi registered 'To Kalon' as a trademark in 1988 and 'To Kalon Vineyard' in 1994; Constellation Brands inherited these marks via its $1.36 billion acquisition of Mondavi in 2004
• Mondavi sued Schrader Cellars in 2002 after Schrader labeled wines from Beckstoffer's parcel as 'Beckstoffer Original To Kalon Vineyard'; the case settled, granting Beckstoffer licensed use of the name
• In 2021, a federal judge ruled in favor of Constellation in the Vineyard House case, issuing a permanent injunction and affirming the trademark's validity
• In August 2025, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names revoked the official name 'To Kalon Creek,' renaming it Doak Creek after Constellation argued To Kalon is a brand rather than a geographic place

To Kalon fruit is the source of some of Napa Valley's most acclaimed and expensive wines. From the Constellation-owned Mondavi side, the flagship wines include Robert Mondavi Winery 'The Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon, a consistently 94-plus-point blend sourced from the finest To Kalon blocks and typically composed of around 94 percent Cabernet Sauvignon; the ultra-rare I-Block Fumé Blanc from 1945-planted Sauvignon Blanc vines; and the Reserve Fumé Blanc. Opus One, the joint venture between Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild, draws the majority of its blend from its To Kalon holdings. From the Beckstoffer side, a long roster of elite producers purchases fruit under contract, including Paul Hobbs, Realm Cellars, Schrader Cellars, Carter Cellars, Tor Wines, Morlet Family Vineyards, Alpha Omega, B Cellars, and Cliff Lede, among others. Beckstoffer's unique pricing model ties grape prices to retail bottle prices: producers pay a minimum of 100 times the retail bottle price per ton, so a $200 bottle requires at least $20,000 per ton for the fruit. This makes Beckstoffer To Kalon grapes among the most expensive in California. Wines from both Mondavi and Beckstoffer parcels reliably command three-figure prices, with the most sought-after bottlings from Schrader Cellars and Realm Cellars often exceeding $600 per bottle.

• Robert Mondavi Winery's flagship 'The Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from To Kalon and typically composed of approximately 94 percent Cabernet Sauvignon
• The Beckstoffer To Kalon pricing formula ties grape cost to bottle price at 100 times the retail price per ton, pushing fruit costs beyond $20,000 per ton
• Beckstoffer sells fruit to over 20 producers including Paul Hobbs, Realm Cellars, Schrader Cellars, Carter Cellars, Morlet Family, Alpha Omega, and Tor Wines
• Opus One draws the majority of its blend from its To Kalon holdings, comprising the Q Block sold by Mondavi in 1981 and K Block acquired in 2008