Kobalt
Mark Herold Wines
Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Kobalt
Port-styled Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Jack & Arden put together a wonderful evening of delicious food and great wines, and a few of us attendees contributed some bottles to enjoy as well. Great night!
The epitome of full throttle. Buckle up and hold on. Like rocket fuel! Baked blue and black fruit pie and dark cocoa shavings on the nose. High octane on the palate, with a chocolate a-la-mode and creme de cassis finish. Very cool @Benjamin Keator — 6 years ago
Kobalt
Rumble in the Jungle Sauvignac 2019
2019 Kobatl Rumble in the jungle. Made from Sauvignac in styria Austria. Grown on Volcanic soils, Fungus and disease resistant (PIWI) hybrid of Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, & unknown hybrid grape.
peach skins, dill, basil, slight bitterness from skin contact, more peach, saltiness, dried florals lime skin. True Balance of familiar and unfamiliar
Vineyard/cellar stats: organic farming, volcanic soils; macerated on the skins for a few days then gently pressed, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak barrels, bottled unfined, unfiltered with no added sulfites, no temperature control; zero-zero; 12.5% ABV
Kobatl is an organic garage winery, working with only fungus resilient grape varieties (PIWI) in the part of Austria with mineral-rich volcanic soils on a 3.3 hectare organic estate, cultivated by Michael, who fell in love with natural wines during his travels. He returned home and found out that his own area is one of the most unique wine regions of the world, with volcanic soil and an illyrian climate (transitional climate between mediterranean, alpine and pannonian climates) that are a magical combo for vines, and as it turns out, apples too. Their property has an old apple orchard alongide pristine grape vines of the PIWI variety, with lush grasses growing throughout that are happily grazed by the family sheep Hanni, Franni, Ganni, Sanni and Nanni. And what's PIWI, you ask? These are hybrid grapes crossed specifically for disease resistance - the new grape babies are so tough, no mold, insect or other ailment can infect them. They are SUPERGRAPES that need no treatment of any sort in the vineyard, making organic farming/natural winemaking easy peasy. People, this is the future!
Rumble in the Jungle is technically an orange wine, since the PIWI grape Sauvignac spends a few days cuddling with its skins, though the color is luminous gold. The nose is aromatic, like peaches, grass and summer sunshine, and it tastes like the most glorious combo of peaches, basil and juicy, salty tomato -- the perfect summer salad in a glass! Not grippy or tannic, just pure sunshine, which we could all use now as winter sets in. — a year ago
Ardore
Napa Valley Red Blend 2009
Kobalt
Knights Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2014
The nose reveals, dry cut grass, green beans, ripe; lemon, lime, grapefruit, pineapple, guava, mango, green melon, nectarines & peaches. Herbaceous notes, mint, chalky minerals, just a hint of cat pee, honey notes, sandstone and spring flowers with yellow lilies.
The body is rich, lush and full. The crisp palate minerality almost gives it a sense of tannins. Dry cut grass, green beans, ripe; lemon, lime, grapefruit, pineapple, guava, mango, green melon, nectarines & peaches. Herbaceous notes, mint, chalky minerals, slight hint of petrol, honey notes, sandstone white spices with some palate heat, and spring flowers wit yellow lilies. The acidity is quite high. The rich, fruit finish is well polished and lingers for minutes.
Photos of, the Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc grapes, tasting with part owner- Kevin Carriker at his home a couple of years ago and their vines in Coombsville. — 6 years ago
Château Rieussec
Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 1983
Dessert last night was a layered, guava, mango, raspberry, passion fruit cheesecake. I did a dual pair with 14 Kobalt Sauvignon Blanc and this 83 Rieussec Sauternes. The 83 won hands down.
Look at that color! 👀 The older they are, the darker they get. I’ve seen one nearly black, a 1928 D'yquem a number of years back. A good producer/vintage of Sauternes will out live almost anyone’s life span properly stored. This 35 year old 375ml was no exception to that rule.
The nose reveals; brown sugar, molasses, dried; pineapple, apricots, peaches, nectarines, orange citrus, touch of light colored citrus’s, marmalade, mixed nuts with skin, toffee, caramel, tea notes, soft limestone minerals, gravel with pebbles and dark withering flowers/lilies.
The body is full, rich and gorgeous. The palate is nicely integrated and complex. The fruits are a combination of candies and dried. Brown sugar, raw sugar cane, molasses, dried; pineapple, apricots, peaches, nectarines, mango, prunes & dates. Candied, lemon, lime & grapefruit. Orange citrus, marmalade, honeycomb, mixed nuts with skin, toffee, caramel, Lipton tea notes, soft limestone minerals, gravel with pebbles and dark withering flowers, yellow & orange lilies. The acidity is like a rain shower and the elegant, rich, well balanced and polished finish lingers on your palate and dances mentally in your brain. There is also granulated sugar on the palate. Huge RS!
Producer notes...Rieussec is aged in an average of 50% new, French oak barrels for 18 to 24 months, depending on the character of the vintage. Chateau Rieussec is owned by the Lafite side of the Rothschild family and all their used oak barrels come from Chateau Lafite.
Photos of; Chateau Rieussec, grapes awaiting the onset of botrytis, their roughly 25-30 year Estate vines and their barrel room. — 6 years ago
David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
Coombville is generally picked later. Some really late like Kobalt. Mark Herold picked this just about right. It is not overly sweet but has some sweetness.
Still loving the 2021’s. Rounding up to 94 here. The 2023’s aren’t out yet. Later next year, but I am hearing it maybe be better than 21. We’ll see…hearing that so far from people that have to sell it.
The is really nice blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, creamy raspberries, black tea, black licorice, sandy loamy limestone earth, good presence of dark spice w/o much heat, as well, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, touch of vanilla, dark, turned earth, dry tobacco, used leather, dark flowers that are a combination of fresh & withering flowers, a nicely balanced, well made structured, tensioned, elegant finish that lasts 90 seconds and starts juicy and lands on spice & top soil. — a month ago