Wine
2021 Pinot Noir
North Castle Road Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Awarded 87 points at the Orange County Commercial Wine Competition
Awarded 90 points at the Sommelier Choice Awards
Wine Enthusiast 91 points October 2024 issue
Grown in Sonoma Valley near the border with the Carneros AVA. Aged for 17 months in French oak barrels, using minimal sulfite additions and no interventions such as fining and filtration.
Opens up after 15-30 minutes of uncorking. Once open, the wine exhibits a bouquet of cherries, very light oak, cinnamon, clove, mouth-watering acidity, restrained fruit on the palate, and cinnamon and cloves. The wine is full on the entry, mid-palate, and finishes with mouth-filling fine-grained tannins.
Retails for $35
Date harvested: September 4th
Brix: 26.7
ph: 3.62
Bottled: March 2023
Alc: 14.2%
2021 Grenache
Fore Family Vineyard, Lake County
Awarded 91 points at the Sommelier Choice Awards
Grown in Lake County at 3000’ elevation in red volcanic soils on Cobb Mountain. This remarkable Grenache exhibits candied high-toned fruit including plum and morello cherries, white pepper on the palate, and tobacco leaf on the nose. A hint of violets and lilacs on the bouquet upon entry and it finishes with punchy tannins. Vinted with natural yeast, and aged using minimal sulfite additions and no interventions such as fining and filtration. Co-fermented with 10% Syrah from the same vineyard, aged in neutral French oak barrels for 17 months.
The spice in this Grenache pairs superbly with roasted meats and vegetables, stews, and recipes with Asian flavors. Also, roast turkey with lots of root vegetables or pork belly. The spice in the wine can also lend itself to a dish with a hint of sweetness something like Moroccan couscous with raisins and almonds.
Retails for $34
Date harvested: September 10th
Brix: 27.8
ph: 3.51
Natural fermentation: started on September 19th
Bottled: March 2023
Alc: 14.5%
2021 Cabernet Sauvignan
Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6 – Horn Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
Awarded 90 points at the Orange County Commercial Wine Competition
Awarded 92 points at the Sommelier Choice Awards
Wine Enthusiast 92 points and Hidden Gems designation October 2024 issue
Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 6 is a very low-yielding grape and has not been planted widely. The grapes have a very high skin-to-juice ratio due to the small berry size and produce a strong and dark-colored wine with very fine tannins. This vintage is about 96% Clone 6 with the remaining 3% Clone 4 from a vineyard in Napa and 1% Merlot from the Grebennikof vineyard in Sonoma Valley. It is a special wine as only a handful of wineries are still producing a Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 21 months in French oak barrels, using natural fermentation, minimal sulfite additions, and no interventions such as fining and filtration.
Pairs well with steak, hamburger, short rib, lamb, boar, venison, mushroom risotto, hard cheeses, and Gorgonzola.
Retails for $50
Date harvested: September 23rd
Brix: 26.2
ph: 3.62
Bottled: July 2023
Alc: 14.2%
2020 Merlot
Organically grown, vinted with natural yeast, and aged using minimal sulfite additions and no interventions such as fining and filtration. Four percent organic Cabernet Sauvignon from a vineyard one-quarter mile away was added to give a bit of structure to the Merlot. The fruit has been sourced from Grebennikof since the 2007 vintage and this is the earliest vintage Kazi Cellars have experienced from this vineyard. This is due to the need to bring in fruit before the smoke from the Glass Fire arrived. Flavors of blackberries, cherry, plum. A minimal touch on the oak along with higher acidity makes for a more food-friendly style. We at Kazi liken it to an Italian Merlot from northern Italy.
Retails for $32
Date harvested: September 12, 2020
Brix: 22.6
ph: 3.57
Natural fermentation: started on September 16th
Bottled: August 2023
Alc: 13.9%
2023 – Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc – Saureel Vineyard, El Dorado
Grown in El Dorado AVA at 1650’ elevation on Gold Hill. This ethereal Sauvignon Blanc made with the musque clone exhibits a tropical fruit nose and flavors. Adding 2% Carneros Vermentino from the Las Brisas vineyard gives the wine a bit of grounding. The wine was aged in 75% neutral French oak barrels and 25% stainless steel for seven months.
Retails for $29
Date harvested: September 12, 2024
Brix: 24.1
ph: 3.43
Bottled: May 2024
Alc: 13.9%
2023 – Pinot Noir
Coming in late summer!
Los Carneros AVA, Dijon 828 and Wadenswil clones