Kalinda
Cuvée Réserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
Continuing to kick off the un-labor weekend early in the D&S Lounge.
For those of you who haven’t seen me post Kalinda, it’s a private label from K&L Wine Merchants. They buy a quality producers juice or have them make a wine for them. I don’t know who made this wine but, they are a quality Oakville producer. This bottle cost me $18.99 about eight years ago and it tastes better than some Napa Cabernets at $75 plus that I’ve had. You just have to wait on them 5-10 years. This is somewhere near its peak.
It’s a slice of blue fruit heaven. On the nose, blueberries, mulberries, olallieberries, plum, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, vanilla, sweet mixed berry cola, light cinnamon, soft dark spice, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock powder, dry top soil, black cherry licorice, a waft of dry herbs with bright dark red florals and violets.
The palate is round and full. Tannins are 80% resolved. The texture is sexy. The structure, length, tension and balance are in perfect harmony, (Seals & Croft/America on the album “Horse With No Name” style). Lush, ripe; blueberries, mulberries, olallieberries, plum, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Vanilla, sweet mixed berry cola, light cinnamon, clove, touch of nutmeg, soft dark spice that penetrates the palate with some heat, tarry notes, dry stems, soft leather, tobacco with ash, graphite, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock powder, dry top soil, black cherry licorice, a waft of dry herbs with bright dark red florals and violets. The acidity is like a waterfall. The long finishes (minutes) is, round, lush, balanced, elegant harmony. It’s beautifully delicious.
Photos of; the D&S lounge lit up by candle power only and always.
Continuing to kick off the un-labor weekend early in the D&S Lounge.
For those of you who haven’t seen me post Kalinda, it’s a private label from K&L Wine Merchants. They buy a quality producers juice or have them make a wine for them. I don’t know who made this wine but, they are a quality Oakville producer. This bottle cost me $18.99 about eight years ago and it tastes better than some Napa Cabernets at $75 plus that I’ve had. You just have to wait on them 5-10 years. This is somewhere near its peak.
It’s a slice of blue fruit heaven. On the nose, blueberries, mulberries, olallieberries, plum, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, vanilla, sweet mixed berry cola, light cinnamon, soft dark spice, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock powder, dry top soil, black cherry licorice, a waft of dry herbs with bright dark red florals and violets.
The palate is round and full. Tannins are 80% resolved. The texture is sexy. The structure, length, tension and balance are in perfect harmony, (Seals & Croft/America on the album “Horse With No Name” style). Lush, ripe; blueberries, mulberries, olallieberries, plum, blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Vanilla, sweet mixed berry cola, light cinnamon, clove, touch of nutmeg, soft dark spice that penetrates the palate with some heat, tarry notes, dry stems, soft leather, tobacco with ash, graphite, limestone minerals, dry crushed rock powder, dry top soil, black cherry licorice, a waft of dry herbs with bright dark red florals and violets. The acidity is like a waterfall. The long finishes (minutes) is, round, lush, balanced, elegant harmony. It’s beautifully delicious.
Photos of; the D&S lounge lit up by candle power only and always.
This ones for you @Paul Treadway. We just talked about the K&L Kalinda's. This is my first 08. I will admit that it started slow. It still needed a two hour decant. Partly because it came fresh out of cool storage and it needed time to reveal all it's fruits and complexity. Kalinda's since 2002 have consistently been one of the best $12.99-$24.99 bottles of wine I've had. You see, they buy juice from from quality producers and label it under their private label "Kalinda." K&L signs non-disclosure contracts with the producers and sell it at extraordinary values under their private label. This 08 shows a lot of dark cherries, black raspberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, caramel, mocha, vanilla, light loamy soils, good acidity and a nice polished even finish. Better on it's own than with the skirt steak. Just buy em every year and then forget about them for 5-9 years and you'll have magical Cabernet at a very good QPR every year. Case worthy year and year out. I will add that I do not find the same consistency in their other none Kalinda Cabernet's...not that you can't find some good Kalinda Chardonnay's, Pinot's etc., I just don't find the same consistency among their other varietals.
This ones for you @Paul Treadway. We just talked about the K&L Kalinda's. This is my first 08. I will admit that it started slow. It still needed a two hour decant. Partly because it came fresh out of cool storage and it needed time to reveal all it's fruits and complexity. Kalinda's since 2002 have consistently been one of the best $12.99-$24.99 bottles of wine I've had. You see, they buy juice from from quality producers and label it under their private label "Kalinda." K&L signs non-disclosure contracts with the producers and sell it at extraordinary values under their private label. This 08 shows a lot of dark cherries, black raspberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, caramel, mocha, vanilla, light loamy soils, good acidity and a nice polished even finish. Better on it's own than with the skirt steak. Just buy em every year and then forget about them for 5-9 years and you'll have magical Cabernet at a very good QPR every year. Case worthy year and year out. I will add that I do not find the same consistency in their other none Kalinda Cabernet's...not that you can't find some good Kalinda Chardonnay's, Pinot's etc., I just don't find the same consistency among their other varietals.
May 21st, 2017