TO-KALON
There is a Native American phrase—Tu-la-halusi—meaning “beautiful land,” used to describe the upper Napa Valley by early settlers. Our story begins with the history of our property, whose first wines were named To-Kalon, meaning “the most beautiful.” In the pioneer days of Napa Valley, the famed To-Kalon wines, made from grapes sourced in part from our property, are thought to have garnered more awards than any other winery in the pre-Prohibition era.
Head-trained dry-farmed vines planted by our great-grandparents, pictured in 1970.
Our Family
In 1954, our family planted the first vines on the property since Prohibition. For 60 years the grapes were sold exclusively to Robert Mondavi, based on a handshake, and became the core of his Reserve and early Opus One bottlings. Robert Mondavi referred to our grandparents as “the best grape-growers in the Napa Valley” and when he and our great-uncle resurrected the property’s historic name, our family was included as the only growers to be part of the Robert Mondavi To-Kalon Vineyard.
Our grandfather delivering grapes to the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1978.
The Land
Located in the fabled Oakville benchlands, at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains, our fifteen-acres under vine sits on the rockiest outcrop of the historic estate. The well-drained alluvial gravels allow roots to tap deep into the earth, capturing a characteristic sense of place in each bottle. Through generations of family stewardship, our Cabernet Sauvignon has become one of the oldest remaining plantings in the Napa Valley. We farm these vines with our own hands and the attention to detail taught to us by our grandfather.
Dry-farmed 70-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted by our Great-grandparents.
PHILOSOPHY
As fourth-generation Napa Valley grape-growers, we believe there is a genealogy of the land and we have a responsibility to preserve the integrity of this unique place. Therefore, we farm exclusively with organic methods, to improve the biodiversity and natural splendor in the vineyard. Native yeasts and traditional techniques in the cellar allow the wines to retain the purity and energy of the site. Only the amount of wine that can be made by our own hands is produced.
MacDonald is a collaboration between brothers Alex and Graeme MacDonald.
FURTHER READING
