“Great wine makes
wonders and is itself one.” … Edward Steinberg
I’ve been a fan of Kenwood for
decades. The vineyard has a history of producing wine that offers an excellent
ratio of price to quality. Whether it’s their white wines such as Sauvignon
Blanc (about $11) or Pinot Gris (about ($16) that are multiple “Oyster Award”
winners, or their entry label reds, their wines offer taste and value. And like other “wineries within a winery,”
Kenwood offers various label options in which both quality and price rise. They
do this through various series called “Vintage”, “Sonoma”, “Reserve”, “Jack
London” and “Artist”, the latter offering Cabernet Sauvignon only.
I recently tasted Kenwood’s
2010 “Artist Series” which is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4%
Merlot. No Petit Verdot, no Cabernet
Franc, this a wine for lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon. But it’s gotten so (for
me) that I don’t know who that includes anymore. All too often, I find many “new world”
Cabernet Sauvignons somewhat one dimensional. Yes tannin. Yes cassis. But lacking in balance and depth: too jammy,
all black fruit, it becomes a wine that pushes forward one characteristic at
the expense of all others. Gone is the
subtly, complexity and depth; the ménage of flavor that intrigues and entices.
A taste of the 2010 “Artist
Series” however, entices and intrigues (as have other years of the series I
have tasted). Deep purple in the glass, it offers a nose of blueberry and cedar
that carries into the taste with cassis and black cherry. A fellow taster described the spice as that
in “mincemeat pie.” I tasted allspice
and a hint of cinnamon. I think we said the same thing though I liked his
description better. The mouth feel is
rich and silky to the extent of being luxurious. The fruit is super ripe, but
not jammy. Flavors are deep with dark fruit balanced subtly against tannins
that are reserved but developed in the back taste. This is a wine that both pushes and pulls. It
has dense, deep flavors, but none of which dominate the senses to the exclusion
of other characteristics. Its depth and
balance are so intertwined they make it a wine that is challenging to describe but
that is its beauty. It’s a complicated
wine but one that is so easy to appreciate if you don‘t have to write about it.  |
| Enjoy with grass fed beef for a symbiotic experience |
Fruit for this wine is sourced
55% from Sonoma Valley, 41% Alexander Valley and 4% (the Merlot) from Dry Creek
Valley, allowing the winemaker to adapt percentages as needed so as to develop
the wine’s best expression. After more
than two years of barrel aging, the winemakers taste the individual vineyard
lots and select barrel by barrel the most flavorful wines to make up the “Artist
Series” blend. Aptly named, the “Artist Series” reflects the art of winemaking.
Care in the making of this wine is
evidenced by its juice aging for 26 months in French oak with the wine, after
bottling, benefiting from an additional 18 months of bottle aging before
release. With all this care and nurturing, the 2010 “Artist Series” is drinkable now though
it will continue to develop better over the next ten years with proper
cellaring.
At $75, this is not a bottle
you will be drinking daily, though once tasted,
 |
| My decorator suggested I put some art in the living room so I displayed a 2007 "Artist Series" |
Cheers!
………………. Jim
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TECH SPECS:
Alc.: 14.5%
Acidity /pH: 6.51 / 3.50
Production: 1,494 cases
Bottled: May, 2013
Released: October 1,
2014
Kenwood Vineyards
9592 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, CA. 95452
Tel: 707-833-5891
* The “Oyster Award” is
presented annually through the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition. The ten best West Coast wines that go with
oysters on the half shell are awarded.
** 2010 sample provided by
publicist for review.
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