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SN: 86
Kenwood Zinfandel 2008
Winemaker's Notes:
Kenwood has prided itself on its highly acclaimed, consistent gold-medal winning Sonoma Zinfandel since it was first produced in 1970. The zest and zing of this varietal make it one of our winemaker's favorites. Our Sonoma County Zinfandel is blended from vineyards located in Sonoma County's best Zinfandel appellations, the Sonoma, Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. A portion of the blend comes from old-vine vineyards that have been producing excellent grapes since the 1940's. The 2008 vintage had a light crop that ripened gently over a mild summer and fall. It was picked in September and October as the individual vineyards reached their peak of ripeness and flavor. Each lot of grapes was fermented and aged separately in French & American oak barrels for 19 months. After aging, the wines were removed from barrels and blended for taste and balance just prior to bottling in August of 2010. Petite Sirah as well as a touch of Sangiovese & Barbera were blended into the wine just before bottling to add additional complexity and structure. The 2008 vintage of Sonoma County Zinfandel is enjoyable now but with its excellent balance of tannins and acidity it should continue to improve with cellar ageing.

Editorial Reviews for Kenwood Zinfandel
The nose opens with a bit of dried berry fruit and a nice sage brushy note, topped with spice and ink accents. On the palate, this is rather light bodied with bright, raspberry and red cherry fruit, accented with nice briary spice all laid over a soft bed of tannins with a hint of astringency. Nice earthy spice on finish, which shows dried cherry fruit and moderate length. 86pts
External Reviews for Kenwood Zinfandel

"Rating: 83/100 - As reviewed by Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine (www.cgcw.com) in the September 2010 issue. The search for value sometimes leads to happy discovery and at others to real disappointment. Sadly

Rating: 83/100 - As reviewed by Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine (www.cgcw.com) in the September 2010 issue. The search for value sometimes leads to happy discovery and at others to real disappointment. Sadly, this bottling is among the latter and, despite its high percentage of Zinfandel, is a thin and dilute wine and is closer in character to generic jug wine than to anything we recognize as varietal.Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine aging recommendation: Drinkable now. Unlikely to improve with further aging.
Tasting Notes:
Red-fruit aromas of raspberries and cherries combine with spicy notes of vanilla and pepper. Complex tannins with excellent mouthfeel and a lingering finish.
Wine Specs:
Alcohol: 14.5% | pH: 3.60 |
Total Acidity: 7.10 grams per liter |
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