Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
There was a time when Kenwood’s Artist Series bottlings were among Sonoma’s very best Cabernets, and the 2008 version is a return to form that stands as the winery’s finest in years. It leads with precise, carefully composed aromas of cherries, cassis, root beer and sweet spice, and it makes good on its aromatic promise with long, well-defined flavors that are extracted without being the least bit heavy. Things do tighten up in the latter going, and tannin is pushed a bit hard by acidity, but very good things lie ahead for the this eminently age-worthy wine, and it deserves a good half dozen years of forbearance.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.