Kathryn Kennedy

Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

9.3285 ratings
9.371 pro ratings
Santa Cruz Mountains, San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Cabernet Sauvignon
Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Pasta, Venison, Tomato-Based, Potato, Pork, Chocolate & Caramel, White Rice, Mushrooms, Beef, Lamb, Chili & Hot Spicy
Top Notes For
Ellen Clifford

So vibrant and beautiful, it belies its age. Fresh fruit nuanced with caramel, spice and greens. Love the OG Kathryn Kennedy 🍷

So vibrant and beautiful, it belies its age. Fresh fruit nuanced with caramel, spice and greens. Love the OG Kathryn Kennedy 🍷

Sep 6th, 2023
Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.5

Sometimes real treats show up in the endless parade of wine samples. In addition to their current releases, the folks at @kathrynkennedywinery sent along this library release, and…. Wow. This wine is aging beautifully. Gorgeous texture with fantastic cherry, cedar, and forest floor notes shot through with a smoked meat umami character that is positively mouthwatering. I brought this over to a dedicated Bordeaux lover’s house for dinner, and he said it was the best CA wine he’d ever had. ⁣

Sometimes real treats show up in the endless parade of wine samples. In addition to their current releases, the folks at @kathrynkennedywinery sent along this library release, and…. Wow. This wine is aging beautifully. Gorgeous texture with fantastic cherry, cedar, and forest floor notes shot through with a smoked meat umami character that is positively mouthwatering. I brought this over to a dedicated Bordeaux lover’s house for dinner, and he said it was the best CA wine he’d ever had. ⁣

Sep 4th, 2021
Severn Goodwin

Nose has blackberry jam spread on older, tanned leather, under-ripe cherry, green CT Valley tobacco, ripe blueberry, whole vanilla bean and wet soil.

Palate has dried blackberry, ripe black cherry, slight oak barrel notes, unsweetened blueberry jam with just a touch of (alcohol, only 13.3%) heat on a long, satisfying finish. Tannins are mostly resolved, can hold this bottle until a 30th birthday under proper storage conditions, but our last bottle.

Beautiful wine, fantastically paired with a Belgian-style beef stew over top of Parmesan polenta.

Nose has blackberry jam spread on older, tanned leather, under-ripe cherry, green CT Valley tobacco, ripe blueberry, whole vanilla bean and wet soil.

Palate has dried blackberry, ripe black cherry, slight oak barrel notes, unsweetened blueberry jam with just a touch of (alcohol, only 13.3%) heat on a long, satisfying finish. Tannins are mostly resolved, can hold this bottle until a 30th birthday under proper storage conditions, but our last bottle.

Beautiful wine, fantastically paired with a Belgian-style beef stew over top of Parmesan polenta.

Feb 22nd, 2020
Sara Thomas

Acidity was low which made it seem more boozy than the alcohol content on the label. Organic grapes, ripe, clean wine but expected more

Acidity was low which made it seem more boozy than the alcohol content on the label. Organic grapes, ripe, clean wine but expected more

Dec 24th, 2019
Gregory Fulchiero

Developing, low alcohol, black fruited masterpiece of Cabernet.

Developing, low alcohol, black fruited masterpiece of Cabernet.

May 27th, 2019
Ira Schwartz

The first thing that struck me was the dark ruby color. Blind you would not come close to guessing its age by looking in the glass. A very cool nose of loamy notes , currants , berries and smoked meat. . In the mouth liquid velvet. Flavors of blackcurrants , nuts and earth that caress your mouth. Left overnight in the decanter and still going strong 24 hours later. Would throw into a blind Bordeaux tasting. @Marty Mathis 👍🏻

The first thing that struck me was the dark ruby color. Blind you would not come close to guessing its age by looking in the glass. A very cool nose of loamy notes , currants , berries and smoked meat. . In the mouth liquid velvet. Flavors of blackcurrants , nuts and earth that caress your mouth. Left overnight in the decanter and still going strong 24 hours later. Would throw into a blind Bordeaux tasting. @Marty Mathis 👍🏻

Dec 3rd, 2018
Bill Bender

Fabulous earthy, bruised plum Clinton era North CA coastal tastiness.

Fabulous earthy, bruised plum Clinton era North CA coastal tastiness.

Sep 14th, 2018
Jordan Wardlaw

An absolute stunner. This was opened in 2016 and I was stunned to find the fruit in such perfect shape. A mature wine with not an ounce of baby fat but still retaining youthful, shimmering primary fruit. Perfectly delineated secondary and tertiary aromas- graphite, leather, dried herbs, violets come to mind, but mostly this was indescribable. Oak has done its job, faded into the background and left the rest to time. Gorgeous resolved tannins that remain just firm enough to have impact, but that glide effortlessly across the palate. Very lean, linear and supple feel to this wine- the very definition of elegance. The sense of delicacy and finesse is eerily similar to the ideal Pauillac. Among the very best and most complete wines I've ever tasted from the New World. Breathtaking.

An absolute stunner. This was opened in 2016 and I was stunned to find the fruit in such perfect shape. A mature wine with not an ounce of baby fat but still retaining youthful, shimmering primary fruit. Perfectly delineated secondary and tertiary aromas- graphite, leather, dried herbs, violets come to mind, but mostly this was indescribable. Oak has done its job, faded into the background and left the rest to time. Gorgeous resolved tannins that remain just firm enough to have impact, but that glide effortlessly across the palate. Very lean, linear and supple feel to this wine- the very definition of elegance. The sense of delicacy and finesse is eerily similar to the ideal Pauillac. Among the very best and most complete wines I've ever tasted from the New World. Breathtaking.

Jan 27th, 2018
Remi Barrett

Stunningly gorgeous Cab by Kathryn Kennedy. I couldn't stop smelling my glass even after it was gone. One of the best I've ever had.

Stunningly gorgeous Cab by Kathryn Kennedy. I couldn't stop smelling my glass even after it was gone. One of the best I've ever had.

1 person found it helpfulMar 7th, 2015
Caroline Conner

Ripe, rich, super perfumed. Beautiful!

Ripe, rich, super perfumed. Beautiful!

1 person found it helpfulApr 24th, 2014