6/24/2018 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Rich, honeyed texture. Oxidated in its characteristic manner. Like late summer sunshine in the pre-sunset hour.

3/13/2016 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Beautiful. Along with Tempier's Bandol Rose, Chateau Pradeaux is a standard in Provencal rose excellence.

2/29/2016 - al-Zabba wrote:

Eh. I remember liking this more two years ago. Hollow, plasticine fruit that tastes manipulated. There are far worse at this price, but far better as well.

3/26/2016 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

This is actually the second bottle I've bought and drank of this one, but I'm recording yesterday's tasting note (2nd bottle).

All day sipper that went equally well with Delice d'Argental as a snack, caprese salad for lunch, and roast chicken with brussels sprouts and roasted potatoes for dinner. A great, inexpensive bottle to have on hand that won't bore you. A golden apple fruit core with bright lemon accents. Omnipresent acidity. Solid showing.

3/19/2016 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Pop and pour on the balcony. Jenn's been wanting to try this since I mentioned it last year so her stop-over back in the Bay was the perfect opportunity. Plenty of juicy blackberry fruit and deep, dark extraction to be punchy and fun while cocktailing, though I usually prefer Kenny's wines with food as they always have a reliable vein of acidity running through them that shows best when paired.

1/31/2016 - al-Zabba wrote:

Sipped warm in the hotel in Portland waiting for a fine dinner at Ava Gene's where the real fun was. Luckily, this rose has enough fruit and weight and tannin that it drinks like a red so all was well enough.

2/14/2016 - al-Zabba wrote:

Valentine's Day at home with gooey, funky cheese, tart apples and fresh French Epi in the afternoon. High acidity riding over slightly bitter apple core. Did the job well enough, but there are finer examples to be found. Went decently well with the steamed mussels, but the high point was dessert when paired with Cantele de Bordeaux.

2/18/2016 - al-Zabba wrote:

Gentle and easy. Full fruit. A pounder, really. By day two it had a distinctly hollow palate and I wasn't all that compelled to finish the second half of the bottle.

2/27/2016 - al-Zabba wrote:

Corked, oxidized. Never got to taste it before purchasing, so I have no idea what this is supposed to be. Too bad I moved it across the country for nothing.

2/3/2016 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

I've waited long enough! When I had it in 2010, my note said to try it again in 2015/2016. Well, it's February 2016 and here it is!

That texture! That body! Clove-studded orange, amber honey, orange marmalade...A panty-dropper of a wine. Must. Find. More.

1/23/2016 - al-Zabba wrote:

Cork pulled at 11 a.m. Needs to come up a bit from cellar temp.

Nose: Oregano, thyme, roasted green bell pepper, fir tree, floating over a core of red currant fruit.

Palate loses the fir tree notes but the rest holds along with the addition of the crispy crust of a beef roast. This has so much more to give. Weekend project.

1/11/2016 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Copying my Facebook post about this wine:

"Seriously, this wine is singing right now. No joke, this is so stunning that I can't believe it's as cheap as it is. I'm going to raid the wine shop on the island of every bottle they have because this is just as remarkable a deal as you can find in Italian wine."

1/9/2016 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Paired with filet mignon, blistered shishito peppers and Manchego Trigal.

I'm so happy this wine is as inexpensive as it is. If you can't have 15-20 year old Reservas, Crianzas are the way to go for me. Anything in the middle hardly seems worth it. This wine has enough structure to keep me happy but is accessible on the cork pull with all sections of the orchestra playing in harmony. One of the most reliable go-to's at weeknight prices.

12/21/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

A nice match with Chinese takeout (shrimp, salt & pepper squid, chow mein, and bok choy with black mushrooms). Stony and citrus-driven. Always pretty.

*Left a glass's worth in the bottle in the fridge before leaving for two weeks, came back and it was still gorgeous and showed next to no oxidation. Remarkable staying power.

1/19/2016 - al-Zabba wrote:

Juicy to the max. This has to be the most fruit-forward wine Kenny makes. Tart cranberry, raspberries a day or two shy of being perfectly ripe when they still have more pucker, and toe-raise-inducing acidity.

Still working on a great pairing for this one. It kind of stands alone at the moment.

12/20/2015 - al-Zabba wrote:

Versatile, easy-going, fleshy but not overdone and still far more on the austere side of the spectrum than most domestic Chenin.

Super happy with this and as always, Kenny delivers more than he should for the price.

9/14/2015 - al-Zabba wrote:

With grilled Moroccan sausages outside on the beach on Labor Day. Inky, dense, chewy, and hard to read an expression when you're being beaten over the head with this brick of a wine. I'm sure it may have revealed itself a bit more eventually, but who knows how long that may have taken. Sweet fruit and lots of sediment.

9/18/2015 - al-Zabba wrote:

What better way to start off the weekend? Of course I could have left it for several more years and it took a good couple of days to relax, but that's what the weekend is for anyway.

11/7/2015 - al-Zabba wrote:

Sunny and dense but not exactly weighty. Clear-toned fruit with that little touch of earthiness across the line attributed to the proprietary yeast strain, I imagine.

Lovely with some cheap deep-fried Chinese takeout and Jeremy Irons in The Borgias on Netflix.

9/7/2015 - al-Zabba wrote:

Absolutely perfect with the bottarga Jenn brought me from Sardinia shaved over pasta with grated pecorino and parmesan. This dish and wine didn't make it past the kitchen island where five of us devoured it from the same bowl and drained the bottle.

The restrained and elegant Barbaresco had just enough give to play nicely with the earthy/savory bottarga for an unforgettable experience.

1/1/2015 - al-Zabba wrote:

Dessert after New Year's Day dinner. Rich and golden and a decent match with the toffee and espresso-based desserts. Would also work really well with candied walnuts, but this was only a half bottle.

With Jenn, Caleb, Carree and Patrick.

3/14/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Dry riesling at the beach. Introducing a friend to the style and she likes it, she really likes it! Wish I had some grilled shrimp with sea salt and lime for this one.

4/21/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Drank this some time ago to indulge a mood. Ridge York Creek and nostalgia. Didn't disappoint.

1/3/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

This is one of my favorite big-dog Cabs for when I'm in the mood (as Ben always called it) for an "armchair, Lazy-Boy" indulgent Cabernet. Granted, that isn't very often, but it's nice to know it's there when you need it. The group kept requesting bigger wines and I was finally in the mood to give them one. An approved one, of course.

Stinky-cheese fondue night at Jenn and Caleb's with Carree, Patrick, and Anya.

4/17/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Just starting to brown now. Earthy loveliness has set in now that the tannins aren't blaring and the heaping abundance of fruit has toned down. Cork was crumbly and this was the last bottle of the 2007 I had.

Too bad, now I really like it! But now, there's no doubt this wine can make it nearly 10 years.

2/6/2015 - al-Zabba wrote:

Sleek and polished with clarity, beautiful weight and perfect acidity. This aint your suburban daddy's backyard burger bottle. Serious Zin and no, that isn't an oxymoron.

11/20/2014 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Soft and delicious bottle while cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Versatile.

Chinese and traditional Turkey Day combo spread at Jenn and Caleb's.

1/1/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Getting into the meat of the meal...New Year's Day dinner of braised and shredded pork tacos with Jenn, Caleb, Carree and Patrick.

Dark and intense but delicious with forkfuls of just the fatty, moist pork.

2/21/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

This is a ridiculously delicious Chardonnay. Texture and character without unnecessary weight or blatant manipulation. Seamless, with fruit and acidity that sing. This is table to couch Chardonnay if you can make the bottle last past dinner. Perfect with food, but not so acidic that it doesn't perform well on it's own. With well-made Chardonnay like this, there really aren't many instances that limit it's brilliance.

1/1/2015 - al-Zabba Likes this wine:

Always pretty. First bottle opened for big New Year's Day braised and shredded pork rib taco dinner with Jenn, Caleb, Carree and Patrick. Bottle rescued from last NYE in IN and put to much better use here in SF.

7/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Took forever to open. I mean days. Hard-lined and not giving it up at all. A brick wall of a wine at the moment.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

A little funk on the nose on pop & pour. Still very much alive on the palate. This'll work. Great presence on the palate.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Nerello Mascalese. (Piedmontese producers caught using this grape to top off their Barbaresco...)

Here we go. This will show off Sicily well and get some new fans. 13.5%

Has some tooth to it, but you won't have to scrape layers of purple off your tongue. A good bridge. Classically Sicilian with a bit more finesse than on average.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Single vineyard Nero d'Avola. 13%

Shows a bit of (grilled) raisin? Characteristic of Sicilian IGT level bottlings...

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Single vineyard (Soledad). Solid for the price. Single Vineyard hitting the shelf for $16.99...either a great deal or a questionable vineyard...I guess it works.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Majority of the fruit is pulled from sustainable/organically grown vineyards when possible; dry farmed, etc. 2/3 whole cluster press. 70% sees 5 months in one and two year old French oak; no malo.

1/3 RRV, 1/3 Carneros, 1/3 Santa Maria (huh? Does he mean Santa Lucia? St. Helena?)

13% alc. Some butter, a bit of a hollow finish--still present, but not filled out on the finish. Passable.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

14.5%; high altitude Mendoza fruit.

Soft, pillowy texture; nice clarity despite its "voluptuousness".

Violet and petunia notes over the airy fruit. Works. And WTF, for the price, it's killer!

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

91 Tanzer, 92 Spectator (for those who care)

65% Mourvedre, remaining split between Syrah and Grenache (mostly). Biodynamic. Putting Cairanne on the map.

Silky with great weight; warm stone doorstep on the nose; brilliant fine-grained fruit and a little roasted meat. Black currant, touch of blackberry, etc. Exceptional wine and not bad pricing...worth every penny of the $30 shelf price.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Mango and almond with some minerality and a lengthy finish. Pretty.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Organic. The kids just took over and are creating a lot of unique cuvees. This is their entry Sancerre.

A touch more pink grapefruit than much of Sancerre with a little pithi-ness. Really tasty. This'll appeal to more than the regular Sancerre drinker and hopefully get some more people to jump over from NZ.

Whoa, but the price might be prohibitive. That's ok, the people who get it'll love it.

6/18/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Organic. Super bright acidity in a macerated lemon kinda way. Pre-buy for the 2013 on its way.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

79% Cab/13% merlot/4 cab franc/4 malbec/2 petit verdot

65% seven hills/35% pepper bridge fruit.

19 mo in 100% french oak (45% new, 55% used).

14.1% approx. 2,000 cases produced. 50 cases of magnums...if they can be found.

On the richer side of WA cabernet, but not too far over the line. Sweet fruit. Eh, I prefer their Merlot to their Cab.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

76% merlot/16% cab franc/8% malbec.

Seven Hills, Octave Vineyards sourcing.

100% french oak (62% used, balance new) 17 months in barrel.

There we go. Of all the merlot I've had today, this actually tastes like it (Granted it's just 76%, but it tastes more like merlot than any other I've tasted today.) Silky and more appropriate body. Not overdone. That's why...it'd be about $55 on shelf.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

100% french oak; 89% used & 11% new oak. 100% Syrah.

14.3% approx 2,000 cases produced.

Some northern Rhone funk but layered with vanilla. Some nutty red peanut skin. Tooth coating.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

83 Cab/7 merlot/ 4 malbec/3 syrah/3 cab franc.

Summit View, Lake Lescollines, Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge.

100% Walla Walla fruit; 95% french oak/5 % american (79% used, 21% new oak)

14.2 %; approx 5200 cases produced.

Rich, candied cherry fruit, I'd guess more CA than WA. A little chewy.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

And we're back to the super dark, hot, stewed plum fruit. No thanks.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

54 Sangiovese, 29 merlot, 8 malbec, 5 cab franc, 4 montepulciano.

That 4% represents 84% of the montepulciano planted in Alexander Valley.

Lighter, more buoyant fruit than the rest of the line. Certainly much easier to drink but still not worth the money.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Only one of the La Storia in this lineup that doesn't say "estate bottled" on the back label...

Cab shows a little soapy on the nose, but at least the palate is much more friendly and pulled together than the rest of this line. This'll do, but nothing thrilling.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Ok. Getting bored with this. Leaves sticky teeth and too much heat and not enough character to make it interesting. Shows far too sweet and cocktailers may like that but I just think it's sloppy.

6/17/2014 - al-Zabba wrote:

Much more pulled together than the Trentadue label zin; a little incense making it more interesting. Alright.