Kunde Merlot 2014
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Other Vintages
2021-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Wine
Enthusiast
For over a century, five generations of the Kunde Family have farmed our 1,850 acre estate in the 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 100 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. Every decision we make, every wine we craft, and every experience we provide honors the legacy of Great Grandfather, Louis Kunde. We remain committed to innovation in our vineyards and winery while maintaining a deep, personal commitment to sustainable winegrowing and preserving the land for generations to come.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.