Our estate grown Zinfandel invites you in with its aromas of black currants, blackberry, gingersnap, and violets. Expressive flavors of blackberry, plum, and a touch of cinnamon are a joy on the palate. Approachable and fruit forward, this vintage is marked particularly by its rich, lengthy finish.
Winemaking
2016 was a relatively cool year, where the monthly temperatures were lower than usual. Upon harvest, the grapes are allowed to cold soak for 3-5 days, releasing deep color pigment along with the building blocks that form the depth and backbone of the wine. Fermentation was conducted using native yeasts to ferment the juice until dry. Two pumpovers were conducted daily, followed by pressing. The wine was aged for 16 months (25% new) in 35% French and 65% American oak barrels and bottled in April 2018.
Food Pairing
Smoky Black Bean Chili (recipe found at Kunde.com)
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Appellation: Sonoma Valley, Kunde Estate
Clones: Shaw & Picchetti Selections
Vine Age: 8 to 135 years
Harvest: September 9-October 12, 2016
Harvest Brix: 26.8°
Alcohol: 14.7%
pH: 3.54
Residual Sugar: dry
Total Acidity: 0.68 g/L
2016 Kunde Merlot, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
Tasting Notes
Our rich and velvety textured 2016 Merlot delivers strawberry, black tea and star anise aromas. A complex core of black cherry melds wonderfully through the wine’s silky texture and rich tannins. The velvety mouthfeel and structured body of our Merlot makes it a very food friendly, easy sipping wine.
Winemaking
2016 reflected a great traditional Bordeaux growing season. Lower temperatures with a longer hang time helped develop ripe flavors, a full body and a rich mouthfeel in the finished wine. For this Merlot, the grapes were left to cold soak for six days and were fermented with their native yeasts. Fermentation included pumpovers twice daily and the juice remained on the skins for 30 days. The wine was aged for 16 months in French and American oak barrels (28% new) and bottled in April 2018. 2,200 cases produced.
Food Pairing
Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
Specs
Vintage: 2016
Appellation: Sonoma Valley, Kunde Estate
Vine Age: 8-14 years old
Harvest Date: September 24-October 13, 2016
Harvest Brix: 26.5°
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.64
Residual Sugar: dry
Total Acidity: 0.67 g/L
2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
Tasting Notes
Rich and boldly flavored, this Sonoma Valley Cabernet offers an intriguing bouquet of vanilla, raspberry and caramel that wraps around a core of black cherry, cassis and raspberry flavors. Our estate Cabernet’s rich, chewy tannins play across the palate and linger on the wine’s complex finish.
Winemaking
The long, warm days and cool evenings of 2015 offered a great season for growing high quality Cabernet. Extended cold soaks lasting 5 to 7 days provided natural extraction from the grapes and allowed the native yeast populations to increase. We performed pumpovers twice daily with massive aeration early in fermentation. Once fermentation slowed, the skins rested on the wine, keeping overall contact from 30-50 days. The wine was aged for 21 months in small French oak cooperage (23% new) and bottled in June 2017.
Food Pairing
Red Wine Infused Beef Stroganoff with Mushroom Medley
Specs
Vintage: 2015
Appellation: Sonoma Valley, Kunde Estate
Clones: 337, 4, 15, 169 and 8
Vine Age: 8 to 26 years
Harvest: September 24-October 10, 2015
Harvest Brix: 25.1°
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.71
Residual Sugar: dry
Total Acidity: 0.60 g/L
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
2x 2016 Kunde Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
2x 2016 Kunde Merlot, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
2x 2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
Case:
4x 2016 Kunde Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
4x 2016 Kunde Merlot, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
4x 2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
At Kunde Family Estate, our winemaking mission is to craft elegant wines with a real sense of place—beautifully balanced and expressive of our dramatic vineyard landscape.
For over a century, five generations of the Kunde Family have farmed our 1,850 acre-estate in the heart of Sonoma Valley—a truly remarkable legacy in the modern age of California winemaking. A fervent, forward-thinking vision of land stewardship and sustainability began over one hundred years ago, and has been shaped with each successive generation.
Today, Kunde Family Winery is still family owned and operated with a hands-on team of 4th and 5th generation family members at the helm. At the end of the day, every decision we make, every wine we craft, and every experience we provide honors the legacy of founder Louis Kunde, who emigrated from Germany and purchased the original Wildwood Vineyards ranch at the turn of the century in 1904. Cresting the second century was a profound milestone for the family. Moving forward, we remain committed to innovation and state-of-the-art facilities, while also maintaining a deep, personal commitment to sustainable winegrowing and preserving the land for generations to come.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Kunde Family Winery Estate Reds - $20 = 11.11%
We were selected to be a lab rat on this offer!
We got a bottle of the merlot.
Upon opening and pouring, we were met with a gorgeous red color, and lots of enticing aromas on the nose, along with a little alcohol heat. I got perhaps a bit of plum, along with what my wife could only describe as grape. I also got a bit of dust on the nose. Seeing the description of the offer now, I can believe cherries as well.
Initial entry Was wonderful, with plenty of flavor of cherry and also a bit of that dust (or mineral, if you prefer). There is some alcohol, as well, along with a bit of tannins. Finish was marvelous, with what seems to be a bit of fiery spice, lasting for a long time.
The previous offers we were fortunate to lab rat we were a bit disappointed in; subtle to the point of flavorless. This offer does not fit that description; yay!
This really went well with the Thai food we had for dinner. Wife would drink again, and so would I. Remains to be seen how the other two varietals will fare, I might have to pull the trigger.
Thank you for the opportunity to lab rat. Hope this helps people to make a decision.
I have the privilege of checking out and reporting on the 2016 Kunde Sonoma Valley Zinfandel! TBH, I don’t recall ever having wine from Kunde before. (That doesn’t seem right, but there it is.) Zinfandel is a favorite varietal for me! Thank you so much, @Casemates, @Winedavid49, and the entire crew at WCC for making my rat report possible!!! I appreciate the opportunity!
On the pop and pour: there is a lot (!) of plum, berry, and pepper on the nose! Some interesting, green/grassy notes as well. On the palate, I’m getting some definite alcohol heat! After the burn, I am tasting a lot of sour cherry, plum skins, blackberries, blackberry leaves, bay leaves, and pepper. Interesting composite! IN the glass, the color is vivid red/purple and the legs are long and many.
After 5 minutes in an open glass (Riedel Vivant Merlot glass – so good surface area), the nose is almost unchanged. Big difference on the palate, though! The heat has fallen off. The fruit is still forward, but I’m detecting more green notes (thyme and parsley or grass).
After 15 minutes in an open glass: The fruit and green aromas have well integrated. I’ve lost the “bite” of the pepper. On the palate, the fruit has returned to the forepalate. Tannins have decreased, except at the very front; mid palate is fading quickly It is really “mellowing out”. Which tells me do NOT put this wine thru an aerator! I think that would kill the wine.
I poured this wine with Italian Leftovers for dinner – ravioli in tomato sauce and reheated pizza. (Hey – don’t judge!) That’s when things got really odd for this wine. I was expecting this wine to be food friendly – but it wasn’t. It just didn’t go well with the food. Can’t tell you exactly what was wrong. For lack of precise terms – it tasted really flat. It was tasty with pizza crust nibbles at the end, but it didn’t work as a “food” wine. That made me sad.
If you are looking for an interesting Italian red to go with your bread and cheese plate, this one will be a nice addition to your arsenal. If you are looking for a hearty food friendly candidate, I would look elsewhere in this offer
2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
It’s my wife’s “birthday week”, you know, she claims to be celebrating all week. It’s a big birthday for her, but I can’t tell you which one or she’ll shoot me. Anyway, it’s the end of her birthday week and I’m struggling trying to figure out what I’m going to cook her for a grand birthday dinner, and what wine to open, etc. Lo and behold, an email from Casemates arrives and a Lab Rat wine is incoming! I eagerly await the UPS guy to find out what’s in store. Sweet! It’s a Kunde Sonoma Valley Cab. I quickly consult the Google for pairings. Ribeye steak, burgers, ribs, etc. all sound really good, but one of the things that jumps out is duck. I know we have a couple of duck breasts in the freezer, so that’s it- duck. I pop the bottle open to get a gist of what’s here to pair. On the nose blackberry, cherry, thyme, hint of oak and vanilla. Taste- really nice tannins, dark ripe fruits like ripe cherry, blackberry, raspberry and plum. Dry, but not overly fruity. The finish is nice, lingering, leaving you wanting more. Color- a nice garnet red. All right, so, it’s fresh berry season around the upper Midwest and we have a bunch of fresh blackberries. Perfect. I use these to make a blackberry sauce to go with the duck. I fire up the trusty grill with some lump charcoal and applewood chucks. On the grill the duck goes. While that’s cooking, I make some mushroom couscous as a side. The result? Smoked duck breast with the blackberry sauce, couscous, and some grilled pearl onions. The pairing? Nailed it- high five. This wine is really nice with the duck. The tannins work well with the relative fattiness of the meat, and its ripe fruits plays well alongside the blackberry sauce and couscous, complementing, but not conflicting. I could imagine this Cab would work very well with many grilled meats you might pair it with. Think ribeye steak, lamb, juicy cheeseburger, ribs, or the duck as we did. It’s definitely a buy for me as my BBQ friendly Wellington stash is sadly darn near gone.
@efamily Sounds like a great pairing. Where in the upper midwest? I was in Door County, WI last month and just got back from Charlevoix, MI (near Traverse City) and there were cherries as far as the eye could see, but nary a blackberry.
@cathleenc I actually live in the Columbus, OH area and was just up in Door County on vacation. I don’t think I’ll have a reason to go back any time soon (though it was very nice.) Charlevoix, on the other hand, is a much shorter drive and I’m trying to convince my wife to buy the lake house that I can’t afford.
@ttboy23
I also very much enjoyed the Merlot. Have enjoyed several vintages of the Cab as well. Don’t remember much about the Zinfandel other than I really liked their Heritage Zin. If that was included I probably wouldn’t be able to resist but as it is I still have a few of the Merlots and Cabs to tide me over. However, this is a very good offer from a solid producer.
And from Wine Enthusiast:
Merlot. 86 Points.Sanguine in red currant, this is a high-toned herbal wine, with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. Green olive and herb highlight the lush midpalate of dark cherry and soft tannin. VB 12/1/19
Zinfandel. 85 Points. This is thick in tannins and wild blackberry and cherry flavors that are well integrated within a ripe full-bodied style. The finish is short and straightforward. VB 8/1/19
@rjquillin Just for you I snuck behind the WS paywall. Not much else out there in the wonderful web world on these.
So…from Wine Spectator:
KUNDE FAMILY Zinfandel Sonoma Valley 2016
Score: 89
Jun 30, 2019
Tasting Note
A snappy, briary red, with bright cherry, underbrush and black pepper flavors. Drink now through 2024. 4,750 cases made. — TF
Merlot Sonoma Valley 2016
Score: 89
Issue: Mar 31, 2020
Tasting Note
Fleshy, offering a deep well of dark fruit and spice flavors that are well-knit. The savory finish features notes of underbrush, green herbs and chocolate. Drink now through 2022. 2,200 cases made. — KM
…and now for the the cabernet:
Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley 2015
Score: 86
Issue: June 15, 2019
Tasting Note
Frankly ripe, with raspberry and boysenberry jam flavors gliding through. Rounded and easy-feeling on the finish. Drink now. 8,250 cases made. — JM
Love seeing some familiar names on the rattage! @coffeemate and I are wine club members at Kunde. Always love seeing them on here, especially at the Casemate prices. Fan of the cab and merlot for sure. Don’t drink as much zin as I used to. Really does a number on the good old GERD. I love getting old.
2016 Kunde Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Food Pairing
Specs
2016 Kunde Merlot, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Food Pairing
Specs
2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
Tasting Notes
Winemaking
Food Pairing
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$336.16 at Kunde Family Winery for 4x 2016 Kunde Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown 4x 2016 Kunde Merlot, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown 4x 2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 14 - Tuesday, Sep 15
Kunde Family Winery Estate Reds
6 bottles for $89.99 $15/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Kunde Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
2016 Kunde Merlot, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Kunde Family Winery Estate Reds - $20 = 11.11%
I see FL is first on the board. Is Mill still around? I miss “First Sucker”, not to mention “Last XXXXer to XXXX” and “XXXXer to blame for sellout”.
2016 Kunde Merlot, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
We were selected to be a lab rat on this offer!
We got a bottle of the merlot.
Upon opening and pouring, we were met with a gorgeous red color, and lots of enticing aromas on the nose, along with a little alcohol heat. I got perhaps a bit of plum, along with what my wife could only describe as grape. I also got a bit of dust on the nose. Seeing the description of the offer now, I can believe cherries as well.
Initial entry Was wonderful, with plenty of flavor of cherry and also a bit of that dust (or mineral, if you prefer). There is some alcohol, as well, along with a bit of tannins. Finish was marvelous, with what seems to be a bit of fiery spice, lasting for a long time.
The previous offers we were fortunate to lab rat we were a bit disappointed in; subtle to the point of flavorless. This offer does not fit that description; yay!
This really went well with the Thai food we had for dinner. Wife would drink again, and so would I. Remains to be seen how the other two varietals will fare, I might have to pull the trigger.
Thank you for the opportunity to lab rat. Hope this helps people to make a decision.
@JOATMON thank you for the report. I like the Thai food pairing.
2016 Kunde Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
I have the privilege of checking out and reporting on the 2016 Kunde Sonoma Valley Zinfandel! TBH, I don’t recall ever having wine from Kunde before. (That doesn’t seem right, but there it is.) Zinfandel is a favorite varietal for me! Thank you so much, @Casemates, @Winedavid49, and the entire crew at WCC for making my rat report possible!!! I appreciate the opportunity!
On the pop and pour: there is a lot (!) of plum, berry, and pepper on the nose! Some interesting, green/grassy notes as well. On the palate, I’m getting some definite alcohol heat! After the burn, I am tasting a lot of sour cherry, plum skins, blackberries, blackberry leaves, bay leaves, and pepper. Interesting composite! IN the glass, the color is vivid red/purple and the legs are long and many.
After 5 minutes in an open glass (Riedel Vivant Merlot glass – so good surface area), the nose is almost unchanged. Big difference on the palate, though! The heat has fallen off. The fruit is still forward, but I’m detecting more green notes (thyme and parsley or grass).
After 15 minutes in an open glass: The fruit and green aromas have well integrated. I’ve lost the “bite” of the pepper. On the palate, the fruit has returned to the forepalate. Tannins have decreased, except at the very front; mid palate is fading quickly It is really “mellowing out”. Which tells me do NOT put this wine thru an aerator! I think that would kill the wine.
I poured this wine with Italian Leftovers for dinner – ravioli in tomato sauce and reheated pizza. (Hey – don’t judge!) That’s when things got really odd for this wine. I was expecting this wine to be food friendly – but it wasn’t. It just didn’t go well with the food. Can’t tell you exactly what was wrong. For lack of precise terms – it tasted really flat. It was tasty with pizza crust nibbles at the end, but it didn’t work as a “food” wine. That made me sad.
If you are looking for an interesting Italian red to go with your bread and cheese plate, this one will be a nice addition to your arsenal. If you are looking for a hearty food friendly candidate, I would look elsewhere in this offer
@cjsiege Thank you for reporting. Interesting how it changed up with food.
@WCCWineGirl Yes, it was unexpected. It’s good to hear the others in the package are shining better with food.
2015 Kunde Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Estate Grown
It’s my wife’s “birthday week”, you know, she claims to be celebrating all week. It’s a big birthday for her, but I can’t tell you which one or she’ll shoot me. Anyway, it’s the end of her birthday week and I’m struggling trying to figure out what I’m going to cook her for a grand birthday dinner, and what wine to open, etc. Lo and behold, an email from Casemates arrives and a Lab Rat wine is incoming! I eagerly await the UPS guy to find out what’s in store. Sweet! It’s a Kunde Sonoma Valley Cab. I quickly consult the Google for pairings. Ribeye steak, burgers, ribs, etc. all sound really good, but one of the things that jumps out is duck. I know we have a couple of duck breasts in the freezer, so that’s it- duck. I pop the bottle open to get a gist of what’s here to pair. On the nose blackberry, cherry, thyme, hint of oak and vanilla. Taste- really nice tannins, dark ripe fruits like ripe cherry, blackberry, raspberry and plum. Dry, but not overly fruity. The finish is nice, lingering, leaving you wanting more. Color- a nice garnet red. All right, so, it’s fresh berry season around the upper Midwest and we have a bunch of fresh blackberries. Perfect. I use these to make a blackberry sauce to go with the duck. I fire up the trusty grill with some lump charcoal and applewood chucks. On the grill the duck goes. While that’s cooking, I make some mushroom couscous as a side. The result? Smoked duck breast with the blackberry sauce, couscous, and some grilled pearl onions. The pairing? Nailed it- high five. This wine is really nice with the duck. The tannins work well with the relative fattiness of the meat, and its ripe fruits plays well alongside the blackberry sauce and couscous, complementing, but not conflicting. I could imagine this Cab would work very well with many grilled meats you might pair it with. Think ribeye steak, lamb, juicy cheeseburger, ribs, or the duck as we did. It’s definitely a buy for me as my BBQ friendly Wellington stash is sadly darn near gone.
@efamily Sounds like a great pairing. Where in the upper midwest? I was in Door County, WI last month and just got back from Charlevoix, MI (near Traverse City) and there were cherries as far as the eye could see, but nary a blackberry.
@KitMarlot Was up in Fish Creek just days before Cherry picking and missed it dangit. Lol. We’re near Cherry Valley IL.
@efamily thank you. loved the duck pairing. and HBD to your wife. She should take the whole month to celebrate.
Cheers
@KitMarlot I’m close by in Crystal Lake should you ever want to split any orders!
@cathleenc I actually live in the Columbus, OH area and was just up in Door County on vacation. I don’t think I’ll have a reason to go back any time soon (though it was very nice.) Charlevoix, on the other hand, is a much shorter drive and I’m trying to convince my wife to buy the lake house that I can’t afford.
@KitMarlot oh, I see now. You’re the other ‘Mate buying all the wine in Franklin County!
WOW, three rats in a row.
Their Merlot is some of the best I’ve ever had thru this site. Just a couple left…
@ttboy23 side note: the Kunde Merlot offer last June was for the 2015
@ttboy23
I also very much enjoyed the Merlot. Have enjoyed several vintages of the Cab as well. Don’t remember much about the Zinfandel other than I really liked their Heritage Zin. If that was included I probably wouldn’t be able to resist but as it is I still have a few of the Merlots and Cabs to tide me over. However, this is a very good offer from a solid producer.
And from Wine Enthusiast:
Merlot. 86 Points.Sanguine in red currant, this is a high-toned herbal wine, with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. Green olive and herb highlight the lush midpalate of dark cherry and soft tannin. VB 12/1/19
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/kunde-2016-estate-grown-merlot-sonoma-valley/
Zinfandel. 85 Points. This is thick in tannins and wild blackberry and cherry flavors that are well integrated within a ripe full-bodied style. The finish is short and straightforward. VB 8/1/19
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/kunde-2016-estate-grown-zinfandel-sonoma-valley/
fwiw
@kaolis What?
No Cab?
@kaolis @rjquillin I found this.
90 points.
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/kunde-2015-estate-grown-chardonnay-sonoma-valley/
@kaolis @rjquillin Whoops sorry wrong link. Nope, no WE review on 2015. Not that I could find.
@rjquillin Just for you I snuck behind the WS paywall. Not much else out there in the wonderful web world on these.
So…from Wine Spectator:
KUNDE FAMILY Zinfandel Sonoma Valley 2016
Score: 89
Jun 30, 2019
Tasting Note
A snappy, briary red, with bright cherry, underbrush and black pepper flavors. Drink now through 2024. 4,750 cases made. — TF
Merlot Sonoma Valley 2016
Score: 89
Issue: Mar 31, 2020
Tasting Note
Fleshy, offering a deep well of dark fruit and spice flavors that are well-knit. The savory finish features notes of underbrush, green herbs and chocolate. Drink now through 2022. 2,200 cases made. — KM
…and now for the the cabernet:
Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley 2015
Score: 86
Issue: June 15, 2019
Tasting Note
Frankly ripe, with raspberry and boysenberry jam flavors gliding through. Rounded and easy-feeling on the finish. Drink now. 8,250 cases made. — JM
@kaolis @rjquillin 89
see I told you that Merlot was fab
@kaolis @rjquillin @ttboy23
/giphy ungrateful-refined-vein
Love seeing some familiar names on the rattage! @coffeemate and I are wine club members at Kunde. Always love seeing them on here, especially at the Casemate prices. Fan of the cab and merlot for sure. Don’t drink as much zin as I used to. Really does a number on the good old GERD. I love getting old.
In for some more…
/giphy gritty-vile-gorilla
@javadrinker
Please tell me that is supposed to be his belly button
@javadrinker @pseudogourmet98
/giphy unadorned-frugal-move
Just delivered. Was happy to have it still feel nice and cool in the styrofoam box. It is still super hot in Houston.