The 2013 vintage was the driest calendar year on record. A warm, windy spring set the growing season creating restricted vine canopies and ultimately intense flavors in the fruit. Moderate temperatures continued throughout the growing season with only the slightest heat spike right at harvest. The clusters were full with small berries. The extended hang time created a richness of flavors. Less than 1.8 tons per acre were harvested from Kamen Estate and because of cooperating weather, we were able to let the fruit hang for uniform ripeness and a layered flavor profile.
Each hand harvested block of Kamen Estate Cabernet is fermented and barreled as an individual lot. In exceptional vintages, Kashmir cuvée is made from the thoughtful blending of our top lots producing a unique reserve wine that is aromatic, concentrated and developed.
The 2013 Kashmir is an aromatic powerhouse! Effusive notes of pure dark fruit—freshly sliced black plums, fully ripened blueberries, mountain blackberries and juicy black currants leap from the glass. An ocean of secondary aromas quickly follow; quartz, wildflowers, graphite, cassis and exotic teas. Tertiary hints of suede, ink and bramble are the final touches of this aromatic landscape. The palate is seamless and gives no indication of the intensity of flavors that greet you. Unctuous, rich, ripe and yet at the same time elegant and ethereal. The tannins are substantial and well-integrated supporting this powerful Cabernet. The warm, full finish goes on and on. Cellar and enjoy over the next 20+ years.
“His limited-production cuvée of six barrels culled from his Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Kashmir flirts with perfection—as one might expect. This is a killer wine, with an opaque purple color, gorgeous notes of blueberry, blackberry, charcoal embers, graphite and floral notes, seamlessly constructed with fabulous integration of acidity, alcohol, tannin and new oak. The wine is rich, full-bodied and about as flawless as one can make a big, full-throttle Cabernet Sauvignon. Look for it to age effortlessly for 25–30 years.” 98 pts. —Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate #221, October 29, 2015