Kunde Family Estate 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley

March 21, 2012

Matt $11-$20 Price Point, 2008, Cabernet Sauvignon, Kunde Family Estate, Next-Wine-Please!, Sonoma , , 1 Comment

The Wine:

Kunde Family Estate 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley

Not all grapes and subsequent wines they produce are equal. Typically wineries have 2-3 tiers of wine varying in qualities and prices. Barrels which don’t make the ‘reserve’ or ‘select’ wines are usually bottled in a more mass produced offering – these are very often the price point wines which make it to grocery store shelves. Without a doubt the Kunde Family Sonoma Valley Cab is their lower end, more mass produced tier. I’ve had several of their ‘premium’ offerings ($25-$35) from  Kunde and enjoyed them, so I was looking forward to trying their more widely available, $13 price point wine.

The Experience: 

Color: Very deep purple – looks very young still.

Nose: Jammy dark plum, earth, some ‘dustiness’, olives, and a little vanilla.

Palate: The same as the nose but really not that enjoyable due to a disjointing harshness between the elements. On the second day, the finish of the wine really took on a bitter quality. Over extracted seed tannin?

Bottom Line:  Next-Wine-Please

At the $13 price point, I think I would consider trying another vintage of this wine or look elsewhere on the shelf. I’m pretty sure this is or close to, ‘last run-juice’. (The last juice from the grape press which is typically less fruity, more tannic) I think you could find more value at the $7-$10 price point or a significantly better wine for $20-25. But I would encourage you to try other Kunde Family Estate wines.



Lance and Windmill 2006 Petite Syrah – Stag’s Leap

March 14, 2012

Matt $11-$20 Price Point, 2006, Buy-A-Case, Napa Valley, Petite Sirah, Stag's Leap 28 Comments

The Wine:

Lance and Windmill 2006 Petite Syrah

Stop what you’re doing. Go to Trader Joe’s and get this wine. A legit $60 dollar wine for $15. (ok, they relabeled it, but the crew cap is the same and the cellar name is “Q Cellars”) This a diamond in the rough. From what I’m reading over at fellow wine blogger Jason’s Wine Blog, and my Dad who looked for this wine at his local TJs, this wine is already out of supply, so get moving!

Ignore the screw cap. This is top quality Petite Sirah. (Oddly, they spell it Petite Syrah, could there be some Syrah in this wine?!) Having worked at a winery which produces amazing Petite Sirah (and Syrah!), I’ve come to love this tannic monster – especially with some years of bottle age to mellow out but pack a punch.

The Experience:

Color: Very inky – deep garnet, plum.

Nose: Dark blueberries, mushrooms, earth, oak – power

Palate: This is what makes great wine great, you experience so many different components – blueberries, boysenberries, earth, mushrooms, oak/vanilla. You can’t quite put your finger on what you’re experiencing, so you sip more. And more… This wine packs extremely fine tannins which coat your mouth and beg for this food to be paired with some big foods or will live for quite a while in a cellar. Simply awesome.

Bottom Line: Buy-A-Case (before I do!)

It might be a long while before Trader Joe’s gets another deal like this in. If you like big, bold wines – this is it! If you have friend or family member who buy expensive wines they will be shocked to learn what you paid for this, $15! It’s a bummer to see a quality producer having to move some inventory like this, but it’s hard to complain about reaping the benefits! What did you think of this wine?



Buena Vista 2008 Pinot Noir Carneros

March 7, 2012

Matt $10 Price Point, 2008, Buena Vista, Buy-A-Case, Carneros AVA, Pinot Noir , , , 3 Comments

Buena Vista 2008 Pinot Noir Carneros

The Wine:
What do you get when you combine Napa and Sonoma counties? Los Carneros AVA, nestled at the base of the two world famous wine regions. Carneros is the first AVA to be defined by its [cool] climate rather than geography. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive in cool climate, foggy environments, generally resulting in wines with bright acidity. It’s no wonder why so many sparking wine producers have set up shop in this AVA. With so much wine on the market, sometimes a $24 bottle of wine finds itself at $10 on the shelves of Trader Joe’s. Awesome, just the kind of wine I want to try!

The Experience: 

Color: A lighter, translucent garnet, ruby red.

Nose: Earthy, earthy, earthy! Mushrooms, minerals, slightly vegetal, some dark berries and as the wine is exposed to air, the oak barreling becomes more pronounced, but in balance.

Palate: Layers of earthiness, some dark fruit, toasted oak, with very bright minerality and acidity. Balanced and NICE!

Bottom Line: Buy-A-Case

Here’s a wine which will introduce new Pinot drinkers to the flavors, lightness yet presence good Pinot can and should have. I’ve tasted Pinots 3x’s the price which don’t show the balance and layers this wine does. If you’re a Pinotphile, you’ll wow your friends with this wine (for $10!!!) and it will make a comendable ‘second bottle’ or wet your whistle for a good Pinot on a Tuesday night. What did you think of this wine?



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