Kenwood 'Artist' Cabernet Sauvignon - $79.99

Wine Details

Vintage: 2007
Price: $79.99
Producer: Kenwood
Region: Sonoma Valley
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Container Size: 750 ML
Flavors: oak
  • Red Wine
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Product Description

  • The grapes used to craft each Artist Series release are as carefully selected as the artwork that will grace the bottle. Each year, Winemaker Pat Henderson selects the finest small lots of Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and skillfully blends them to produce this Kenwood classic. While the winemaking philosophy of using only the most superior Cabernet fruit never changes, the style of Kenwood's Artist Series Cabernet has evolved over the years. The initial style of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit with lots of oak aroma and flavor has evolved to a lighter Bordeaux-style blend with subtle oak complexity.
  • Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 when wine enthusiasts from the San Francisco Bay Area refurbished and modernized the former Pagani Brothers Winery, originally established in 1906. Ideally located in the heart of Sonoma Valley, Kenwood Vineyards, named after the town of Kenwood, is committed to producing premium wines that reflect Sonoma County's finest vineyards and define the region's grape varieties in their true character and style. The winery produces classic varietal wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer and Merlot. Kenwood Vineyards has earned the reputation for crafting wines that offer consistent high quality and outstanding value at every price level. The winery sits on a beautiful twenty-two acre producing estate. Kenwood's wines are produced from both these grapes grown on site, as well as from fruit sourced from some of Sonoma County's finest vineyards. Using the "cuvée" winemaking method, the harvest from each vineyard is handled separately to preserve its individuality and true character. Such "small lot" winemaking allows veteran Winemaker Pat Henderson to bring each lot of wine to its fullest potential as shown in the blending of Kenwood Vineyard's Reserve, Jack London, and Single Vineyard Series Wines. The ultimate expression, Kenwood's winemaking philosophy is embodied in its highly acclaimed Artist Series, a blend of the finest barrels of Cabernet that reveal the evident rewards of this dedication to excellence. True to its history, Kenwood is housed in the original winery buildings. Inside, the winery has been redesigned with winemaking versatility in mind. More than 125 stainless steel fermenting and upright oak tanks are used in a combination with 14,000 French and American Oak barrels giving the winemaker flexibility and diversity in production.

Expert Ratings

Ratings   Vintage Source Flavors
CGCW - 87 Details: Even accepting that Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape that delivers its fair share of tannin, this wine goes a little bit overboard in its late parts, and the ripe, rich aromas and reasonably fruity flavors that come before are more than a little bit occluded at the back. Still, there is fruit at its heart, and, for those willing to wait, the wine may well reward their patience. 2003 CGCW
CGCW - 90 Details: 4% Malbec; 3% Merlot; 2% Cabernet Franc. This polished and very carefully measured working eschews exaggerated ripeness and oak in favor of proportion and clearly defined varietal fruit, and, while it may lack the bluster and drama that is the latter-day norm for high-ticket Cabernet, it wins the nod for precision, balance and grace. It is not excessively tannic, yet it is also not a wine that will want drinking soon, and its combination of depth and slight finishing hardness lead us to think in terms of five to ten years when considering age 2002 CGCW oak
CGCW - 87 Details: Even accepting that Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape that delivers its fair share of tannin, this wine goes a little bit overboard in its late parts, and the ripe, rich aromas and reasonably fruity flavors that come before are more than a little bit occluded at the back. Still, there is fruit at its heart, and, for those willing to wait, the wine may well reward their patience. 2003 CGCW
CGCW - 83 Details: Kenwood's flagship Cabernet starts out on a positive note with rich, well-concentrated aromas of currants, cocoa, orange rind and herbs, yet, for all of its initial promise, the wine comes up hard and hollow on the palate and leaves us wondering what became of its fruit. Age might find it filling out some, but there are no guarantees here. 2001 CGCW herbs, orange
WineEnthusiast - 84 Details: After a string of great vintages, this bottling is a disappointment. After four-plus years, it remains quite tannic, with an acidic astringency. 2001 WineEnthusiast
CGCW - 90 Details: 4% Malbec; 3% Merlot; 2% Cabernet Franc. This polished and very carefully measured working eschews exaggerated ripeness and oak in favor of proportion and clearly defined varietal fruit, and, while it may lack the bluster and drama that is the latter-day norm for high-ticket Cabernet, it wins the nod for precision, balance and grace. It is not excessively tannic, yet it is also not a wine that will want drinking soon, and its combination of depth and slight finishing hardness lead us to think in terms of five to ten years when considering age 2002 CGCW oak
WineSpectator - 87 Details: Potent cedar, tobacco, herb and fresh earth flavors along with its firm structure give this wine a Bordeaux-like personality, with currant, herb, leather and olive flavors that are rich and concentrated, but in need of short-term cellaring. Drink now through 2012. 3,700 cases made. –JL 1999 WineSpectator herbs
WineEnthusiast - 91 Details: The grapes come from high mountain vineyards that yield small berries, and this wine is young, tough and tannic. It’s not one of your softly opulent ‘99s that immediately seduces. There is a deep core of blackberry, cherry and cassis fruit and a lush overlay of oak. This 25th vintage of Artist Series is a serious cellar candidate. Best after 2008. 1999 WineEnthusiast berries, blackberry, cassis, cherry, oak
CGCW - 87 Details: In a vintage that has allowed producers to succeed wildly with their best offerings, this bottling succeeds only just enough. It has plenty of personality, and its better parts smell and taste of ripe and deeply cast fruit that might well earn it even higher ratings, but it is also possessed of an overriding barky, woodsy, woody character that gets in the way of greater enthusiasm. If you are a collector of Kenwood's Artist Series, it is worth laying aside a few bottles. Otherwise, it is pricey. 1999 CGCW
CGCW - 83 Details: Kenwood's flagship Cabernet starts out on a positive note with rich, well-concentrated aromas of currants, cocoa, orange rind and herbs, yet, for all of its initial promise, the wine comes up hard and hollow on the palate and leaves us wondering what became of its fruit. Age might find it filling out some, but there are no guarantees here. 2001 CGCW herbs, orange
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Food Pairings

Category Pairing
Cheese Blue Cheese
Red Meat Beef, Pork Chops, Lamb, Grilled or Roast Leg, Grilled or Broiled Chops or Rack of Lamb, Veal, Veal Carpaccio, Game, Farmed Venison, Buffalo, Pate or Liver, Variety Meats or Organ Meats, Liver
Poultry & Eggs Duck Confit
Vegetables Corn, Roasted, Mushrooms, Caramelized Shallots, Potatoes, Sauteed Potatoes
Sauces Red Wine Sauce
Herbs & Spices Basil
Poultry & Eggs Quail stuffed with Swiss Chard & Italian Sausage

Wine Terms

Name Value
Cabernet Sauvignon (cab er nay saw vee nyon)—This highly adaptable grape grows almost anywhere it is relatively warm, but the best wines come from the Burgundy region of France (where it is a noble variety), California, and Australia. It became famous through the red wines of the Médoc district of Bordeaux and is now grown in Washington, southern France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make wines that are high in tannin and medium- to full-bodied. Usually identified as having black currant or cassis flavors, the grape can also possess vegetal tones when the grapes are less than ideally ripe. The best wines are rich and firm with great depth, and are often aged for fifteen years or more. Because it is highly tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other less-tannic grapes such as Merlot.
Sonoma Like its neighbor Napa, Sonoma is a small area filled with independent wineries and characterized by microclimates that vary according to the topography. The coolest parts of Sonoma are the fog-filled south, where the grape varieties are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Northwards up the valley the climate warms and provides a good base for Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. In general Sonoma wines are less dramatically flavorful than those of Napa. Cabernet Sauvignon is relatively soft, with blackcurrant fruit, minty and eucalyptus perfume, and some soft buttery oak. Zinfandel ranges from soft and gulpable to massive bramble and pepper styles. Chardonnay is rich and juicy, especially from the Russian River, and Sauvignon Blanc can be zingy and grassy. Most Sonoma wines have a freshness and a soft edge which makes them very suitable for drinking on their own, however they partner well with strongly flavored fish and meat dishes. The old-style Zinfandels are delicious with spicy cuisine.
United States Wineries exist in all fifty states, but the most predominant (and best) wine comes from Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State, with New York gaining a foothold in the industry. American wines make up about 75% of all wine sales in the US. The appellation system uses the term AVA (American Viticultural Area) to determine where wines were produced, but grape varieties can be planted anywhere in the country. American wineries generally use varietal labeling, and government regulations require that the variety on the label must make up at least 75% of the blend (in Oregon it’s 90%). The words reserve, special selection, private reserve, classic, and so on have no legal definition in the US. Some wineries use these terms to indicate their better wines; others use the words as a marketing tool to move lower quality wines off the shelf.
California California produces the majority of wine made in the United States. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominate the wine production in California, but many other varietials thrive in the California climate. Many fine wines are produced in California using Mediterranean grapes.

Tasting Notes

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