Kalinda
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California, USA
Kalinda is K&L Wine Merchants private label. If you give it 5+ years in bottle, it’s one of the best, if not thee best value in Napa Cabernet. I think I paid $18.99 or $21.99 for this 09. I’d like to tell you who made it but, that’s the mystery of Kalinda, you just don’t know. They either buy juice from a quality producer or have them make a wine specifically for them. They’ve made a lot of great producer relationships over the 40 plus years they’ve been in business. Either way, dollar for dollar, it’s a steal. Name a quality Napa producer you can buy for $20. It’s a very short list. I buy six of more of these every year without even thinking about it. It’s simply that consistently good and always an exceptional value.
On the nose, it’s sweet, ripe, ruby nectar. There are some hints of fruit liqueur. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum with hint of strawberries. Mocha powder, dark chocolate, light dark spice, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, whiff of nutmeg, crushed rocks, loamy dry top soil, some dark moist earth, dark fresh & withering floral bouquet.
The body is medium edging to full. It’s fresh, fruity, silky and elegant. The length, structure, balance and tension are in a perfect spot. There is nothing on the palate that bites back. The fruits are ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, huckleberries, blue fruit with hint of strawberries. Mocha powder, dark chocolate, light darker spice than the nose, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, whiff of nutmeg, dry crushed rocks, soft, round volcanic minerals, loamy dry top soil, some dark moist earth, dark fresh & withering floral bouquet. The round acidity is nicely executed. The long, well balanced finish is really nice and lasts minutes. This bottle just missed 9.2.
Photos of, the K&L tasting bar in SF, floor shot of racked wines and beautiful shots from the Napa Valley.
Kalinda is K&L Wine Merchants private label. If you give it 5+ years in bottle, it’s one of the best, if not thee best value in Napa Cabernet. I think I paid $18.99 or $21.99 for this 09. I’d like to tell you who made it but, that’s the mystery of Kalinda, you just don’t know. They either buy juice from a quality producer or have them make a wine specifically for them. They’ve made a lot of great producer relationships over the 40 plus years they’ve been in business. Either way, dollar for dollar, it’s a steal. Name a quality Napa producer you can buy for $20. It’s a very short list. I buy six of more of these every year without even thinking about it. It’s simply that consistently good and always an exceptional value.
On the nose, it’s sweet, ripe, ruby nectar. There are some hints of fruit liqueur. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum with hint of strawberries. Mocha powder, dark chocolate, light dark spice, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, whiff of nutmeg, crushed rocks, loamy dry top soil, some dark moist earth, dark fresh & withering floral bouquet.
The body is medium edging to full. It’s fresh, fruity, silky and elegant. The length, structure, balance and tension are in a perfect spot. There is nothing on the palate that bites back. The fruits are ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, black plum, huckleberries, blue fruit with hint of strawberries. Mocha powder, dark chocolate, light darker spice than the nose, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, whiff of nutmeg, dry crushed rocks, soft, round volcanic minerals, loamy dry top soil, some dark moist earth, dark fresh & withering floral bouquet. The round acidity is nicely executed. The long, well balanced finish is really nice and lasts minutes. This bottle just missed 9.2.
Photos of, the K&L tasting bar in SF, floor shot of racked wines and beautiful shots from the Napa Valley.