People. Petar Kirilov was my assistant winemaker back 15 years ago. I added to his substantial enological training in Bulgaria my own postmodern system involving romancing the tannins and making wines full of grace balance, elegance, profundity and longevity. He is today an extraordinary winemaker, exceedingly dedicate, embarrasingly hard working and a wonderful father.
He brought these wines to Dan Berger and I while we were having our weekly lunch. Dan is working on a book about Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, and these wines epitamize what Napa used to be and should be before overpriced, high alcohol raisiny clown wines became the rage. We were thrilled. As AppellationAmerica.com panelists, what impressed us most was the trueness to AVA the wines exhibited.
These wines are a steal at full price, easily worth two or three times the SRP he is asking. At this discounted price, well, theyāre ridiculously cheap.
2019 Napa Valley Cab Sauv
Beautiful ruby color. Complex nose full of chocolate, kalamata olive and leather. The most fully developed bottle bouquet of the group. Stylish, round tannins with a subtle grip. A very serious wine for a supposedly lesser blend.
2019 Stagās Leap Cab Sauv
Gorgeous garnet color, classic blueberry and cassis nose. Very stylish. Great finesse. Tannins are fat, really like Merlot. Finish is long and fruit-rich. Fabulously androgynous, cleaner than the Napa blend.
2019 Oakville Cab Sauv
Pretty ruby, medium dark. Licorice, sage, cassis and tar aromas, very typical of the region. Tannins are masculine but full of finesse. Highly elegant and vineyard-precise. Will age like crazy.
2019 Howell Mountain, Dunn Vineyard Cab Sauv
Nose is closed but powerful like a timpani rumbling away at the start of a Carl Oorf symphony. Tannins are highly refined for this region but promise decades of longevity. Possibly the best accomplishment and the most age worthy.
One would be truly foolish to pass up this quartet.
@klezman@winesmith I was also concerned about this, but I think the specs may be wrong. At least, the SLD bottle says 14.5% on the lab rat bottle. Could be within 1 pct legally, so maybe 15.1-2 anyway. Ultimately decided to give it a go. Iām very good at forgetting about Cabernet for many years, just ask my CellarTracker!
I was excited to learn that I was going to get to lab rat, i.e. an email from Alice, but I was even more excited when the bottle of
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)
arrived. I recalled that a previous Casemates offer had their 2016 Cab from Mt. Veeder in 2019, which at that time did not have shipping to Illinois. Prior to popping this open, I did a little research about this wine. It seems that this cab comes from Money Road in Napa, specifically from property just to the east of Opus One. Other wines of notoriety come from the Money Road area within the Oakville appellation. The Oakville AVA is known for deeply colored wines with ripe cherry, currant and berry. They are also known to be approachable at 3 years with aging up to 20 years. Already, Iām hooked, so letās see what this wine has to offer.
Upon PnP, with a nice Bordeaux glass as the vessel of choice, and using a white piece of paper as a backdrop, this wine is dark burgundy with good clarity but density. There is a slightly lighter hue at the rim. After a swirl, the wine clings to the sides of the glass and then the cascading legs are long. The initial aromas are of dark fruits and vanilla. The first taste confirms both along with soft tannins. The long finish reveals a little caramel, dark chocolate and coffee. There is a little tartness and limited acidity. Overall, it is obvious that this is a young wine.
Since I did not want to consume all of this wine with dinner, which would have been difficult not to do, I opened another CS. At one-hour intervals for the last five hours, I have retasted this wine. It has not changed much. Bottom line: this is a really nice wine that will need time to mature and integrate. Those with patience will be rewarded. I know not everyone is a crazy as me, because I try to wait ten years to open age worthy cabs. I see that the Kukeri offer is for four different cabs. I will undoubtedly buy the case and put it into the ten year abyss in my wine storage, knowing that I will be rewarded in 2029. Also, the case price of $33/bottle is a bargain. You wonāt find Napa cabs of this quality any where near this price.
@jmdavidson1 awesome write up. I bought a few cases of their Pinot before. You want to split a case or do I need to buy my own? Hope youāre well jim!
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District - Napa Valley, 14.5% alc
Arrived Friday afternoon for on-sale Monday.
Pre-opening: I googled the Kukeri SLD. $85@winery. $50 online elsewhere but listed as out of stock. $155 on wine list at Barryās Circa Las Vegas. Almost nonexistent tasting notes online. Of note, a couple on CT saying it was āflabbyā and lacked structure. Also a clue in Aliceās email that this will be a mixed offering along with other Kukeris including Howell Mountain Cab. Lucky for THAT rat!
Action plan: open immediately and pour into largest decanter when it will spend the rest of the weekend (top covered with plastic wrap most of the time), never seeing the bottle again. Suspect this was bottled no more than 8 months ago and if not bottle shocked, then just plain closed for those CT tasters. Hopefully by Sunday we will coax more out of the wine for me and this report.
Friday night: Intense color extraction visually. Empty glass is left with a purple hue. Aromas are monolithic, just fruitā¦ black currant, ripe plum. On palate, same, with soft fine tannins and somewhat lacking in structure and acidity at this moment. Getting oak, not getting barrel toast. More notable for whatās absentā¦ no sense at all of minerals, cedar-tobacco, herbs, mocha, pencil lead, etc., that one would expect.
Saturday night: Okay, real progress here. Sending up stronger aromatics of black cherry, black currant, some oak, and a whiff of something like roasted poblano peppers. Dark and extracted. Hits the palette with much better acidity, ripe blackfruits, dense and chewy, oak under control, 20-30 second finish. Medium fine tannins. Excellent balance for my taste.
Very enjoyable now, but this is just a baby. At least Iām a bit more reassured that it has the structure to lay down and age well and open up with more complexity in a few years.
Sunday night: Aromas like Saturday, plus subtle new ones (working hard to sense them through the jammy fruit) including coffee, cocoa powder, pencil shavings, stick cinnamon. Tastes are like Saturday, plus touches of what Iāll call cinnamon-infused baked tart cherries (nice; not cloying at all), generous extracted warming fruit. Fine tannins, a little dust now, maybe the slightest hint of cedar. Long finish, strong for 20 seconds, lingering nicely another 15 seconds.
Takeaways: The cab is classy, but extremely young, with decent potential. No flaws that I can perceive. If you buy, open one and decant it for days. Donāt open the next one for at least a year.
Iām dying to see what pricing WD is able to put together for a mixed offering including Kukeri SLD & Howell Mtn Cabs! I couldnāt begin to venture a guess.
Addendum: have just seen price for the 4-packs and it looks very good. Very compelling Napa Cab sampler!
Good day Casemates. We received the 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We did no pre-tasting investigation as we were not familiar with the producer although the label looked familiar. The label shows the alcohol at 14.5% FYI.
On PnP, the color is a deep purple, the wine is clear with evident viscosity, and the initial nose is heavy with fruit, blackberry and black cherry with a touch of cassis at the endā¦ and vanilla.
First taste, the wine is a bit hot with medium + tannins, medium acidity and medium + finish. We could tell from the get go, this was very well made wine and we were excited to see it develop. Very young and primary at this point but all the signs of a wonderful Napa Cab.
After being open for a few hours and aerated into the glass, we got a lot more nuance on the nose, including cedar and baking spices, rich cassis and orange zest. Also, the vanilla is not as pronounced - it has integrated into the wine. The initial heat has also dissipated and is not as evident. The tannins are more integrated as well, but still very present as expected in a very young Napa Cab, and the acidity is well balanced although not high.
This is a well made, high quality wine. The last couple glasses in our bottle disappeared quickly. I would lay these down for a few years if possible and you will be handsomely rewarded. I believe the price lines up with what I was expecting and itās a great deal for this level of Napa Cabernet. Considering we tasted the āgenericā Napa Cab, rather than one of the designates, I can only imagine this is the entry level of the group. Impressive!
āThis is so choice, if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one upā
Missed a delivery from UPS Friday. It said would redeliver monday but the tracking scan was tied to mechanical pencils we ordered from Amazon. They attempted redelivery on Saturday. I had a conversation over the doorbell because apparently following their own schedule means nothing to ups and the delivery person was also unwilling to meet me along her route. When she said it was wine I did a deep dive into Hotmail and found a misdirected email from Alice. Mystery solved. Bottle of wine for sale today according to the email.
As luck would have it, I got to stay home today with a fever so I could meet UPS. I watched the UPS golf cart drive right by my house without stopping. So tracking still says out for delivery, but Iām wise enough to know theyāve finished for the day. They may try again tomorrow, but Iām not counting on it. Sorry Iām not able to report, but it looks like we have other, more qualified reports already. Buy it if you can is what Iām seeing. Cheers
@kitkat34 good news, bad newsā¦ups finally delivered. Bad news is this cold is kicking my butt and nose so any possible rattage would be, āyes itās red and feels wet in my mouth.ā
Apologies for failure of duties this time. Please forgive me.
@deadlyapp saw that @winedavid49 so generously is being an enabler and emailing everyone in Houston. Case is ordered and there is 1/3 of a split still available.
@calvinko805@osmercontreras LV is outside my range , so that doesnāt work for me. Unless @calvinko805 can do it, weāre still looking for someone to help us with the last 4 bottles.
@calvinko805 I am going into dinner mode (prepare, eat, and clean up) so I wonāt be checking board for a late arriving 3rd person or ordering a case. I am considering the 4 bottle option as you might want to. Better luck to us next time.
The Kukeri Pinot Noir I got last year on Casemates is fantastic and also a tad young. I donāt have room but Iām tempted. Any South FL peeps up to split a case?
Kukeri Pinot Noir I got last year on Casemates was fantastic. My friend thought it was the best she ever tasted. Iāve been waiting patiently for another Kukeri offering and ordered a case of the most recent offering. The last case of the Pinot Noir had a 30% off your next Kukeri purchase included in the casemates box. Sadly, the coupon is only good at specifically at Kukeri site only and not at casemates. The discount from my mystery case helped. Looking forward to what should be some fantastic wine.
@MidwestLizabeth I also love the PN, especially the RRV model. I also thought both the RRV and the Petaluma Gap models were a bit young, but being unsure how long PN can age, drank about one per month until down to one of each now.
This one is an instabuy for me. The last offering was soooo good. I didnāt even bother reading the comments for this one. grandiose-robust-experience
@winedavid49 Truchard Vineyard. That is a name that brings back some fond memories of a site from days of yore. Any chance of getting them back? I remember everything was good.
The 2019 Kukeri Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of fruit from some of the best Cabernet growing regions in Napa Valley, including the Truchard vineyard, located in Los Carneros and another small family vineyard situated within 1500 feet elevation on the eastern slope of Atlas Peak. A touch of Malbec and Petit Verdot balance the rich dark fruit and massive tannins of the 2019 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, adding a vibrancy to its lush mouthfeel and lingering dry finish and balanced acidity.
Bold and wild, the 2019 Kukeri Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits aromas of dark fruits, black tea, tobacco, and green olives, accented with earthy spice notes. A hint of mountain forest, light cedar oak, and dusty baking cocoa combine these aromatics to create this rich full-bodied Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with medium acidity and long legs, which makes a perfect accompaniment to any grilled meat dish.
Specs
Varietal Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.1% Malbec, 1.9% Petit Verdot
Barrel Regime: 30 months, 80% French Oak, 20% American Oak, with 40% New French Oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel
Alcohol: 15.1%
Production: 200 cases
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
The Stags Leap District is Napa Valleyās smallest and most acclaimed sub-appellation. Located along the Silverado Trail, just a few miles north of Napa, the Stags Leap District was named after a legendary story of a courageous stag that eluded hunters by jumping to safety on the jagged cliffs of the Vaca Mountains.
Bold and beautifully colored the 2019 Kukeri Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, exhibits aromas of wild berries, cassis, and cigar box. On the palate, the rich and concentrated flavors of wild blackberry, dark cherry, ripe plum, fresh mountain herbs, and savory spices are in perfect harmony with the rich, velvety texture, firm tannins, well-integrated structure, and a long and persistent finish with great lingering acidity, which makes this Cabernet Sauvignon a perfect accompaniment to any grilled meat dishes.
Today, this story lives on through the intensive fruit-driven 2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in the unique mixture of rocky, iron-rich volcanic soils that run along the rugged hillside to the east and gravelly riverbed soils on the western edge of the appellation. A touch of Malbec and Petite Sirah balance the rich dark fruit of our 2019 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, adding a vibrancy to its lush mouthfeel and lingering finish with great acidity.
Winemaking
The grapes were handpicked in the middle of October, sorted and de-stemmed into small fermentation bins, and allowed to cold soak for 3 days to help stabilize the color and enhance flavor. It was fermented for 17 days and punched down 3 times a day, with an additional 3 days of extended maceration to increase extraction of color and phenolic compounds. The wine is then gently pressed and aged on fine lees for 24 months in a mixture of 100% French oak barrels with 40% new French oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel.
Specs
Varietal Blend: 95.4% Cabernet Sauvignon; 2.5% Malbec, 2.1% Petite Sirah
Appellation: Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
Barrel Regime: 24 months in 100% French oak barrels, 40% new French oak
Alcohol: 15.1%
pH: 3.79
Production: 190 cases
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley
96 Points, Double-Gold Medal Winner, 2022 Sunset International Wine Competition
Tasting Notes
Bold and beautifully colored, the 2019 Kukeri Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, exhibits aromas of dark cherries, plum, spices, and cigar box. On the palate, the rich and concentrated flavors of wild blackberry, cassis, and fresh mountain herbs are in perfect harmony with the rich, velvety texture, with beautifully integrated tannins. Bright acidity and good structure combine with a lush suppleness, contributing to the elegant silky finish, which makes this Cabernet Sauvignon a perfect accompaniment to any grilled meat dish.
The Oakville region is known for producing some of the most awarded Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and is considered the āheart and soul of Napa Valley,ā where the up-valley warmth is balanced by the coolness from the southern appellations. The 2019 Kukeri Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a small vineyard located on the Money road within the Oakville appellation. A touch of Petit Verdot balances the rich dark fruit of our 2019 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, adding a vibrancy to its lush mouthfeel and lingering long finish, and great acidity.
Winemaking
The grapes were handpicked at the beginning of November, de-stemmed, and crushed into small fermentation bins, and allowed to cold soak for 4 days to help stabilize the color and enhance flavor. It was fermented for 18 days and punched down 3 times a day, with an additional 3 days of extended maceration to increase extraction of color and phenolic compounds. The wine is then gently pressed and aged on fine lees for 26 months in a mixture of 90% French and 10% American oak barrels with 40% new French oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel
Specs
Varietal: 98.4% Cabernet Sauvignon; 1.6% Petit Verdot
Appellation: Oakville, Napa Valley
Barrel Regime: 26 months, 90% French oak, 10% American oak, with 40% new French oak
Alcohol: 15.1%
pH: 3.68
Production: 190 cases
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Double-Gold, 96 Points, 2022 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge
Tasting Notes
The 2019 Kukeri Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is coming from Dunn vineyard situated within 1400 feet elevation, above the famous Napa Valley fog ā growing conditions are cooler and windier, although night-time temperatures are warmer, and the grapes often ripen ahead of those on the valley floor. A touch of Merlot, Malbec, and Petite Sirah balance the rich dark fruit and massive tannins of our 2019 Kukeri Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, adding a vibrancy to its lush mouthfeel and long finish and lingering acidity.
Big and intense the 2019 Kukeri Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, exhibiting aromas of black cherries, plums and wild blueberries, dark chocolate with a splash of spices. A hint of wild forest and French vanilla beans combined with balancing acidity and well-integrated oak that create this rich full-bodied and elegant Kukeri Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes a perfect accompaniment to any grilled meats and veggies. This wine it is a superb candidate for cellaring and should mature well over the next 10 years. Enjoy with family and friends!
Winemaking
The grapes were handpicked at the end of October, sorted and de-stemmed into small fermentation bins, and allowed to cold soak for 3 days to help stabilize the color and enhance flavor. It was fermented for 21 days and punched down 3 times a day, with an additional 3 days of extended maceration to increase extraction of color and phenolic compounds. The wine is then gently pressed and aged on fine lees for 26 months in a mixture of 86% French and 14% American oak barrels with 40% new French oak to preserve the delicate notes and mouthfeel. Only 7 barrels were produced.
Petar Kirilov, founder and winemaker of Kukeri Wines, grew up in Bulgaria and graduated from the prestigious University of Food Technologies with a masterās degree in winemaking. He has worked at Truchard Vineyards, Meadowcroft Wines, and Foyt Wines as a winemaker, and created Kukeri Wines to focus on the production of small-lot quality wines from single vineyards.
Kukeri Wines source grapes from some of the most unusual vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. āWe treat that fruit as gently as possible, producing small lots of quality wines that display the complexity, power, finesse, and specific terroir of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Mount Veeder, and Pinot Noir from Petaluma Gap, Los Carneros, and Russian River Valley.ā
Kukeri refers to a pagan Bulgarian ritual that may date back as far as 8,000 years to the ancient Thracians ā and to Dionysus, the god associated with wine, fertility, and rebirth. The festival is replete with mystical symbolism, steeped as it is in a tradition representing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
@pjmartin YIKESā¦when I started to read about this offer, I saw Stagās Leap, Oakville, Howell Mtn!!! If Atlas Peak would have been listed, I probably would have fallen over!! Then the NEO posts started making my cell sing and I couldnāt miss this offer! Thanks PJ for doing the heavy lifting! With our basements full of wine, Iāve gotten very selective, and with GREAT NEOās 'Mates and one on our border, splits have been the order of business!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2019 Kukeri Mixed Cabernet Sauvignons - $80 = 16.65%
People. Petar Kirilov was my assistant winemaker back 15 years ago. I added to his substantial enological training in Bulgaria my own postmodern system involving romancing the tannins and making wines full of grace balance, elegance, profundity and longevity. He is today an extraordinary winemaker, exceedingly dedicate, embarrasingly hard working and a wonderful father.
He brought these wines to Dan Berger and I while we were having our weekly lunch. Dan is working on a book about Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, and these wines epitamize what Napa used to be and should be before overpriced, high alcohol raisiny clown wines became the rage. We were thrilled. As AppellationAmerica.com panelists, what impressed us most was the trueness to AVA the wines exhibited.
These wines are a steal at full price, easily worth two or three times the SRP he is asking. At this discounted price, well, theyāre ridiculously cheap.
2019 Napa Valley Cab Sauv
Beautiful ruby color. Complex nose full of chocolate, kalamata olive and leather. The most fully developed bottle bouquet of the group. Stylish, round tannins with a subtle grip. A very serious wine for a supposedly lesser blend.
2019 Stagās Leap Cab Sauv
Gorgeous garnet color, classic blueberry and cassis nose. Very stylish. Great finesse. Tannins are fat, really like Merlot. Finish is long and fruit-rich. Fabulously androgynous, cleaner than the Napa blend.
2019 Oakville Cab Sauv
Pretty ruby, medium dark. Licorice, sage, cassis and tar aromas, very typical of the region. Tannins are masculine but full of finesse. Highly elegant and vineyard-precise. Will age like crazy.
2019 Howell Mountain, Dunn Vineyard Cab Sauv
Nose is closed but powerful like a timpani rumbling away at the start of a Carl Oorf symphony. Tannins are highly refined for this region but promise decades of longevity. Possibly the best accomplishment and the most age worthy.
One would be truly foolish to pass up this quartet.
@winesmith
I was wavering on the fence (strongly leaning); this pushed me over. Clark has never steered me wrong. Cheers!
@winesmith
/giphy vertical thankless argon
@winesmith how does the profundity and sense of variety and place work with alcohol north of 15%? The specs above say 15.1 or 15.2 for each of them.
@klezman @winesmith I was also concerned about this, but I think the specs may be wrong. At least, the SLD bottle says 14.5% on the lab rat bottle. Could be within 1 pct legally, so maybe 15.1-2 anyway. Ultimately decided to give it a go. Iām very good at forgetting about Cabernet for many years, just ask my CellarTracker!
@aces219 @klezman @winesmith That is good to hear; 15% does sound too high.
I was excited to learn that I was going to get to lab rat, i.e. an email from Alice, but I was even more excited when the bottle of
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)
arrived. I recalled that a previous Casemates offer had their 2016 Cab from Mt. Veeder in 2019, which at that time did not have shipping to Illinois. Prior to popping this open, I did a little research about this wine. It seems that this cab comes from Money Road in Napa, specifically from property just to the east of Opus One. Other wines of notoriety come from the Money Road area within the Oakville appellation. The Oakville AVA is known for deeply colored wines with ripe cherry, currant and berry. They are also known to be approachable at 3 years with aging up to 20 years. Already, Iām hooked, so letās see what this wine has to offer.
Upon PnP, with a nice Bordeaux glass as the vessel of choice, and using a white piece of paper as a backdrop, this wine is dark burgundy with good clarity but density. There is a slightly lighter hue at the rim. After a swirl, the wine clings to the sides of the glass and then the cascading legs are long. The initial aromas are of dark fruits and vanilla. The first taste confirms both along with soft tannins. The long finish reveals a little caramel, dark chocolate and coffee. There is a little tartness and limited acidity. Overall, it is obvious that this is a young wine.
For the meal pairing I made grilled lamb chops (not rack of lamb this time), truffle risotto and sautƩed zucchini in a tomato sauce. I decanted the wine, and now it is an hour later, that is, post dinner prep. All of these big flavors were complemented by the wine, and vice versa. The wine had mellowed and integrated in the last hour.
Since I did not want to consume all of this wine with dinner, which would have been difficult not to do, I opened another CS. At one-hour intervals for the last five hours, I have retasted this wine. It has not changed much. Bottom line: this is a really nice wine that will need time to mature and integrate. Those with patience will be rewarded. I know not everyone is a crazy as me, because I try to wait ten years to open age worthy cabs. I see that the Kukeri offer is for four different cabs. I will undoubtedly buy the case and put it into the ten year abyss in my wine storage, knowing that I will be rewarded in 2029. Also, the case price of $33/bottle is a bargain. You wonāt find Napa cabs of this quality any where near this price.
@jmdavidson1 Jives with my impressions of the SLD (see next). Painfully young!
@jmdavidson1 awesome write up. I bought a few cases of their Pinot before. You want to split a case or do I need to buy my own? Hope youāre well jim!
KRULL! A SKULL! BRETT HULL! AWESOME!
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon
Stags Leap District - Napa Valley, 14.5% alc
Arrived Friday afternoon for on-sale Monday.
Pre-opening: I googled the Kukeri SLD. $85@winery. $50 online elsewhere but listed as out of stock. $155 on wine list at Barryās Circa Las Vegas. Almost nonexistent tasting notes online. Of note, a couple on CT saying it was āflabbyā and lacked structure. Also a clue in Aliceās email that this will be a mixed offering along with other Kukeris including Howell Mountain Cab. Lucky for THAT rat!
Action plan: open immediately and pour into largest decanter when it will spend the rest of the weekend (top covered with plastic wrap most of the time), never seeing the bottle again. Suspect this was bottled no more than 8 months ago and if not bottle shocked, then just plain closed for those CT tasters. Hopefully by Sunday we will coax more out of the wine for me and this report.
Friday night: Intense color extraction visually. Empty glass is left with a purple hue. Aromas are monolithic, just fruitā¦ black currant, ripe plum. On palate, same, with soft fine tannins and somewhat lacking in structure and acidity at this moment. Getting oak, not getting barrel toast. More notable for whatās absentā¦ no sense at all of minerals, cedar-tobacco, herbs, mocha, pencil lead, etc., that one would expect.
Saturday night: Okay, real progress here. Sending up stronger aromatics of black cherry, black currant, some oak, and a whiff of something like roasted poblano peppers. Dark and extracted. Hits the palette with much better acidity, ripe blackfruits, dense and chewy, oak under control, 20-30 second finish. Medium fine tannins. Excellent balance for my taste.
Very enjoyable now, but this is just a baby. At least Iām a bit more reassured that it has the structure to lay down and age well and open up with more complexity in a few years.
Sunday night: Aromas like Saturday, plus subtle new ones (working hard to sense them through the jammy fruit) including coffee, cocoa powder, pencil shavings, stick cinnamon. Tastes are like Saturday, plus touches of what Iāll call cinnamon-infused baked tart cherries (nice; not cloying at all), generous extracted warming fruit. Fine tannins, a little dust now, maybe the slightest hint of cedar. Long finish, strong for 20 seconds, lingering nicely another 15 seconds.
Takeaways: The cab is classy, but extremely young, with decent potential. No flaws that I can perceive. If you buy, open one and decant it for days. Donāt open the next one for at least a year.
Iām dying to see what pricing WD is able to put together for a mixed offering including Kukeri SLD & Howell Mtn Cabs! I couldnāt begin to venture a guess.
Addendum: have just seen price for the 4-packs and it looks very good. Very compelling Napa Cab sampler!
Good day Casemates. We received the 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We did no pre-tasting investigation as we were not familiar with the producer although the label looked familiar. The label shows the alcohol at 14.5% FYI.
On PnP, the color is a deep purple, the wine is clear with evident viscosity, and the initial nose is heavy with fruit, blackberry and black cherry with a touch of cassis at the endā¦ and vanilla.
First taste, the wine is a bit hot with medium + tannins, medium acidity and medium + finish. We could tell from the get go, this was very well made wine and we were excited to see it develop. Very young and primary at this point but all the signs of a wonderful Napa Cab.
After being open for a few hours and aerated into the glass, we got a lot more nuance on the nose, including cedar and baking spices, rich cassis and orange zest. Also, the vanilla is not as pronounced - it has integrated into the wine. The initial heat has also dissipated and is not as evident. The tannins are more integrated as well, but still very present as expected in a very young Napa Cab, and the acidity is well balanced although not high.
This is a well made, high quality wine. The last couple glasses in our bottle disappeared quickly. I would lay these down for a few years if possible and you will be handsomely rewarded. I believe the price lines up with what I was expecting and itās a great deal for this level of Napa Cabernet. Considering we tasted the āgenericā Napa Cab, rather than one of the designates, I can only imagine this is the entry level of the group. Impressive!
āThis is so choice, if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one upā
LABRAT NON REPORT.
Missed a delivery from UPS Friday. It said would redeliver monday but the tracking scan was tied to mechanical pencils we ordered from Amazon. They attempted redelivery on Saturday. I had a conversation over the doorbell because apparently following their own schedule means nothing to ups and the delivery person was also unwilling to meet me along her route. When she said it was wine I did a deep dive into Hotmail and found a misdirected email from Alice. Mystery solved. Bottle of wine for sale today according to the email.
As luck would have it, I got to stay home today with a fever so I could meet UPS. I watched the UPS golf cart drive right by my house without stopping. So tracking still says out for delivery, but Iām wise enough to know theyāve finished for the day. They may try again tomorrow, but Iām not counting on it. Sorry Iām not able to report, but it looks like we have other, more qualified reports already. Buy it if you can is what Iām seeing. Cheers
@jaybird did you ever get delivery? Sorry, frustrating I know.
@kitkat34 good news, bad newsā¦ups finally delivered. Bad news is this cold is kicking my butt and nose so any possible rattage would be, āyes itās red and feels wet in my mouth.ā
Apologies for failure of duties this time. Please forgive me.
@WineSmith made me do it
wealthy-mini-knot
@PLSemenza Me too; Clark Smith is one influential dude. hateful-buff-tarantula
Man, we have no room for these, but itās going to be a tough offer to resistā¦
/giphy resistance is futile
Lord I love the case of SLD I bought from divvy up and now Iām going to have to decide on splurging on this one.
Anyone in Houston want to take a half case off me? 3 SLD and one of each of the others??
@deadlyapp saw that @winedavid49 so generously is being an enabler and emailing everyone in Houston. Case is ordered and there is 1/3 of a split still available.
Darn Lab Rats and old mentors
/giphy abashed-awake-mockingbird
@BigGrumpyBear
If any Socal peeps are interested in splitting, I would like one set.
@davirom I could take 1/3 as well.
@davirom Think I need to drop out of this 1/3. Hopefully, if you do still want to be spendy, others will step up.
@davirom where are you located, I would take the other 1/3
@davirom if anything is left I will take some, but where in SOCAL are you @?
@davirom Iād be up for it but am in the tules of the South Sequoias. Anyone near outer Isabella care to chime in?
@osmercontreras if you confirm that you are in, along with @calvinko805 that will fill out the case and I will order.
@calvinko805 @davirom how we can manage the shipment, I would like to, but Iām in Las Vegas.
@calvinko805 @osmercontreras LV is outside my range , so that doesnāt work for me. Unless @calvinko805 can do it, weāre still looking for someone to help us with the last 4 bottles.
@calvinko805 I am going into dinner mode (prepare, eat, and clean up) so I wonāt be checking board for a late arriving 3rd person or ordering a case. I am considering the 4 bottle option as you might want to. Better luck to us next time.
The Kukeri Pinot Noir I got last year on Casemates is fantastic and also a tad young. I donāt have room but Iām tempted. Any South FL peeps up to split a case?
Should be a fantastic wine for the Holidays!
/giphy terrific-quilled-smoke
Kukeri Pinot Noir I got last year on Casemates was fantastic. My friend thought it was the best she ever tasted. Iāve been waiting patiently for another Kukeri offering and ordered a case of the most recent offering. The last case of the Pinot Noir had a 30% off your next Kukeri purchase included in the casemates box. Sadly, the coupon is only good at specifically at Kukeri site only and not at casemates. The discount from my mystery case helped. Looking forward to what should be some fantastic wine.
@MidwestLizabeth I also love the PN, especially the RRV model. I also thought both the RRV and the Petaluma Gap models were a bit young, but being unsure how long PN can age, drank about one per month until down to one of each now.
This one is an instabuy for me. The last offering was soooo good. I didnāt even bother reading the comments for this one. grandiose-robust-experience
In for the case, as I said I would. Added tasting note, the Calistoga was much better, i.e. integrated, on day 2, which is no surprise.
Somebody Stop Meā¦
/giphy bipedal-extravagant-toffee
@winedavid49 Truchard Vineyard. That is a name that brings back some fond memories of a site from days of yore. Any chance of getting them back? I remember everything was good.
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Specs
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Specs
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley
96 Points, Double-Gold Medal Winner, 2022 Sunset International Wine Competition
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Specs
2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
Double-Gold, 96 Points, 2022 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Specs
Whatās Included [with CT links]
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$972.00/Case for 3x 2018 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (2019 not online) + 3x 2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley + 3x 2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley + 3x 2019 Kukeri Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley at Kukeri Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 19 - Wednesday, Dec 21
/giphy four-berserk-mosquito
NE Ohio split is in
@pjmartin YIKESā¦when I started to read about this offer, I saw Stagās Leap, Oakville, Howell Mtn!!! If Atlas Peak would have been listed, I probably would have fallen over!! Then the NEO posts started making my cell sing and I couldnāt miss this offer! Thanks PJ for doing the heavy lifting! With our basements full of wine, Iāve gotten very selective, and with GREAT NEOās 'Mates and one on our border, splits have been the order of business!
/giphy patriotic-spotted-cucumber
Anyone interested in splitting a case in Las Vegas area???
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2019 Kukeri Mixed Cabernet Sauvignons - $80 = 16.65%
This wine is AWESOME and hard to get unless a club member at their winery. Killer deal!!!
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
Any chance on shipping to Indiana? You did on the previous offer.
Dratsā¦ Tennessee is not in the ship to listā¦ this looks like some amazing adult grape juiceā¦
Damn, no Kansas again!
/giphy thunderous-gloating-wilderness
I have to stop reading the comments. Overflowing with wine here. Willing to split a case in NYC.
/giphy mummified-angelic-wafer
Just a note that CT links have been added in the āWhatās Includedā section at the top