Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I have followed Kenwood's Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon for a long time, and I have been a fan of their efforts. The 2014 vintage is one of the winery's best efforts to date. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows excellent richness from beginning to end, and it stays well balanced and refined. Its taut berry flavors and crisp finish make it a fine choice with a ribeye. (Tasted: May 10, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Decanter
Ripe strawberries are underpinned by a very minty expression that speaks of Coonawarra more than Sonoma. Great concentration and purity on the palate here, but with enough tannin structure to enforce the long finish.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Defined more by altitude than geographical outline, the Sonoma Mountain appellation occupies elevations between 400 and 1,200 feet on the northern and eastern slopes of the actual Sonoma Mountain and is part of the greater Sonoma Valley appellation. The mountain reaches 2,400 feet; its hills separate the cooling winds of Petaluma Gap from the Sonoma Valley.
On a cooler western flank, Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Syrah enjoy a great deal of success. Vineyards on its warmer, eastern side, interspersed with heavily forested areas, tend to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Syrah. Given its complexity of topography and mesoclimates, Sonoma Mountain excels with a wide range of grape varieties.