So, in the cases where Viognier does help colour, do you know if it does so by preventing brownish tints? That's how I read your 'stabilize'. Thank you for the technical input.

fairnymph wrote:Thanks for the recs and info!

It's a process called co-pigmentation, where tannins form "sandwiches" with color molecules. The tannin can be from white grapes (Chianti, CNdP, Cote Rotie), stems (Burgundy) or oak and chestnut extracts (modern day, high tech, south of France stuff).
There was some explanation of co-fermentation by Clark Smith (Winesmith) in the Kent Rasmussen blog discussion section.

norvegicus wrote:Huh

Humbug was possibly the biggest wine.woot disappointment I've had. It's undrinkable for me. I've been aging it, to no avail. Three bottles down the sink so far...

I loved the Humbug - would be glad to take those extra bottles off your hands. PM me to work something out.

fairnymph wrote:I would love to know the rationale for adding Viognier to reds. What purpose does it serve?

This has pretty much been answered in bits and pieces by others, as far as I can tell, but let me throw in my two cents.

First of all, using some white grapes to blend with reds has been and continues to be a traditional method in the Rhone wine region. Since Syrah and Viognier are both grapes originating in the Rhone, and we grow them both at Kunde, it would make sense to try it out. We co-ferment the grapes (crush them together into the same tank) rather than blend wines that were fermented separately. I've tried both approaches, and like co-fermentation better. I think the flavors integrate better this way. The Viognier adds some subtle aromatics that lift the fruit in the Syrah. I do think it is possible to use too much Viognier, although that differs for each vineyard site. I've had some Syrah's with higher levels of Viognier that had a frankly aromatic, white-wine-like aroma that wasn't bad, but went too far in that direction for my liking.

If I may get really geeky here, the second benefit of the white grape co-fermentation could be that it aids in co-pigmentation. It can make a red wine even redder (is that a word?). Copigmentation involves phenolic compounds from the white grapes joining up with phenolic compounds in the red must. Not all red wine pigments are visible (the total pool of pigments is in a chemical equilibrium influenced by things like pH), but some of the colorless pigments are rendered visible when joined up with some of the white-grape compounds. These pigments then not only become visible, but are particularly stable. By "stable", we mean they are less prone to precipitating out of solution.

Whew! I need a glass of Syrah!

esperanto wrote:Appelations?

Also, 0.70 mg/mL is not that much acid. i guess that's a typo, and should be 0.70 g/100mL (7 g/L)

Sorry, I'm feeling picky.

You are quite right that it should read 0.70 g/100 mL. Hopefully the woot folks will correct that.

smartheart wrote:Liked what I've had from Kunde previously on Woot. Winemaker, what's the drinking window on each of these? And within that window, when would each likely be at its peak?

One gal's peak is another dude's uphill slope--or downhill slope.

For me, these are all delicious right now. I'd say that the 2005 Merlot is probably peaking and will hold there over the next year; the wine should do nicely over the next 3-4 years. (All my remarks on aging presume a steady storage temperature of 55-60 F.) The 2005 Syrah may "peak" next year sometime, and drink nicely over the next 4-5 years.

The 2006 Vallee may seem a little youthful, but I like it when it's young and snappy. I'd expect it to do well for at least 3 years from now.

jwhite6114 wrote: How good is this deal?

Sorry for the delay in the spreadsheet, today. None of these wines are currently available for order via the winery website. I was, however, able to find retail pricing for two of them in the Wineclub Member Newsletters, and for the third I have used the price for the previous vintage, also from a Wineclub Member Newsletter. The two Estate Wines on this list appear to commonly be available to Wineclub members only.

As usual, click the link above for discount information, CT prices, winery website links, and more.

Just wanted to note that all of our wines are "Estate".

KundeliciousWinemker wrote:
If I may get really geeky here...

Tim, I believe I speak on behalf of all of us, when I say Please GEEK OUT!

Thank you for the content so far.

SonomaBouliste wrote:Viognier is a very tannic grape; chewing on the skins is like chewing on mountain Cab or Durif (aka Petit Sirah). When co-fermented, this Viognier tannin helps stabilize color and adds structure. Viognier also adds interesting aromatics.

No wonder I like it... :-)

LoonBoarder wrote:Raises hand
My rat report may be slightly delayed. DW is scheduled for shoulder surgery next Monday, and I'll be WFH afterward, so I switched my shipping address to home vs. work. Then got the notification that I'm a rat. So the bottle is going to the *house*, where nobody's home today.

If your UPS comes from the Dover distro, I can help you out - it's a 2 minute drive for me.

KundeliciousWinemker wrote:*co-pigmentation discussion

Thank you (to SB as well)! That explains it very nicely for me. Btw, I don't you can possibly get too geeky here, and certainly not for me.

PetiteSirah wrote:No wonder I like it... :-)

I had the same thought. :D

Late to the party, but HIGH FIVE for some more winery participation!

KundeliciousWinemker wrote:The Viognier adds some subtle aromatics that lift the fruit in the Syrah. I do think it is possible to use too much Viognier, although that differs for each vineyard site. I've had some Syrah's with higher levels of Viognier that had a frankly aromatic, white-wine-like aroma that wasn't bad, but went too far in that direction for my liking.

Consider this my $.04 on shiraz blends and Kunde offerings.

Last month, I compared quite a few Aussie wineries' shirazes side by side with their blends.
First of all, it's pretty well held, but obviously an over-generalization, to say that many of the Aus. shiraz, particularly those from South Aus. (Barossa, McLaren) receive quite a bit more sun and heat than other growers and usually end up at the higher end of the 'robust'/'powerful'/'fruit bomb' scale. Which doesn't mean that the better ones aren't nuanced or have additional subtleties, just that they'll never be confused with a PN. Also, they can probably hold their own, or even benefit from a greater % of supporting (or even leading role) grape.

On the subject of shiraz blends, most Aus. wineries visited had a trophy wine (or two) highlighting their best shiraz in a solo (at least designated) effort, I often found these to be quite good, if certainly out of my price range.

At the mid or 'reserve' range, there was usually a decent selection including another shiraz, a shiraz-cabernet, and a shiraz-viognier, and sometimes a straight cabernet.

In at least half the cases I found the shiraz to be excellent also, but probably enjoyed the shiraz-viognier a bit more, probably due to the added aromatics. (Though different experiences, I really like the more aromatic burgundies and gewurtzes, too)

These seem to be a growing trend down under and I bet we see a lot more of these in the near future.

However, a few houses had GSM blends which were easily my favorite nominee to replace all those directionally impaired shiraz-cabs that make the slow boat ride to our convenience stores.

As far as Kunde, I've only tried their woot wines in their youthful stage and was very happy with the Italianesc Polyphemus blend, notably after an hour of decanting and as an ally to stomping a pizza into submission, while the (kitchen sink-esc) Humbug blend was decent for the price and certainly improved over the year (and with a longer decant).

So now that Kunde is offering two of my new crushes (sorry, npi), and has made me happy in the past, my only dilemma is that I'm not drinking these as fast as I'm buying them?

In all seriousness, what will be the effect if these, or any other wines, are stored below 55F for a month or two? (say at ~50F?)

ahaslett wrote:If your UPS comes from the Dover distro, I can help you out - it's a 2 minute drive for me.

Londonderry (FedEx). Picked it up and popped the bottle a short time ago. Rattery to follow...
(Kunde Estate 2005 Merlot)

LoonBoarder wrote:Londonderry (FedEx). Picked it up and popped the bottle a short time ago. Rattery to follow...
(Kunde Estate 2005 Merlot)

well, cheers to that!

Lab Rat Report

I had the Kunde Estate 2006 Vallée de la Lune. I paired this with a Pork Piccata with Asparagus and Capers.

Color: Remarkable, deep Blood/Ruby very nice color and clarity, but still light.

Cedar, cigar box aroma with spice and I noticed a hint of vanilla.

The flavor was all jam on the front end and definitely cranberries mid palate through the finish. Nice acidity and tannins with a lingering finish, not long.

I kept searching for the floral notes mentioned throughout the forum today from those fabled Voignier/Syrah nuptials, but they never materialized. Overall a very enjoyable wine that went perfectly with the pork. I found it to be a bit young, could use another year or two to fully develop. I am pleased to have three more bottles on the way.

Edit: I want to emphasize how nice the color is on this offering. My bartender even mentioned as much as he was doing his little bottle opening/pouring ritual. This may well be my new favorite shade of candy-apple, deep-red-something, yet still crystal-clear like a nice Pinot.

SeanOD wrote:Consider this my $.04 on shiraz blends and Kunde offerings.
~snipped for space~
In all seriousness, what will be the effect if these, or any other wines, are stored below 55F for a month or two? (say at ~50F?)

Nice post there... thanks, even though we GA'ers are out of the loop.

Raises Hand at the LabRat roll coll

I am drinking the 2005 Syrah. I got the notice that it arrived at the office after I got home, given that I am 15 minutes away when back ... yes i am that dedicated in the roll of labrat didn't want to disappoint during my first appointment.

Love it. Afraid I am not going to have the words. I should have stopped by the grocery to get a steak to go with this wine - will have to do that tomorrow - that would be divine!

The description given is very accurate.
'For sheer strength, nothing beats the Kunde Estate 2005 Syrah. Rich blackberry and mint aromas are followed by muscular berry and chocolate flavors – this wine is ripped. But don’t let its power fool you. It also offers a subtle hints of cedar and a velvety, plush mouthfeel. You’ll want to pair it with a meal that’s capable of heavy lifting, like steak with peppercorns or a hearty vegetable stew.'

I am not disappointed ... yes, I realize I am. I only got one woot (there is only so much wine* that can fit in the apartment ... got to have room for the husband) wish I had gone in for three and then figured it out afterwards where I would store it.

*Currently have 100 bottles in a one bedroom apartment. Will be very dangerous when we move into the house.

Kunde Estate Merlot 2005

It all started when a strange man offered me some Kunde. Mom always said that you can't trust strangers, but he seemed nice...

The Fedex truck came by the house to deliver the promised treat, but my wife and I were both at work - a logistical miscalculation on my part, since she is having shoulder surgery next week and I'll be working from home for some time to come. I didn't take into account the possibility that for this, my 50th wine.woot purchase, I'd have the duty -- nay, the honor -- of being a labrat.

The FedEx center is a middling ride from the house, so we drove up and fetched our package. Other errands while we were out delayed the opening until just before 9PM EDT.





Initial impressions - dark cherries, maybe some mocha on the nose. Even a little leather? The first taste - smooth entry, seemed a little lacking in the mid-palate, then a bit of a hot finish. The second taste showed some more balance, the mid-palate filled out and the heat dropped off. This would go well with some cheese.

[rifles through fridge]

Here we go. A little manchego cheese, sliced up.. a bite of the cheese and a sip of the wine -- there's the balance I was looking for. Someone just the other day mentioned the acid from the wine balancing the fattiness from the accompanying food. This is a prime example of that concept.

One glass down.

I poured another glass, and let it sit for a bit; the dog's looking to do his night-time walkies.


Aaaand, we're back. Nice night out. No signs of the skunks that were out the other night, thank FSM!

Back to the Merlot. Now that it's sat in the glass for a bit, the heat on the back end has dissipated a bit. Still goes better with the cheese than all by its lonesome, though. I'm really awful at picking out the various flavor components, but this seems to be a well-integrated, balanced wine that fits my expectations for the varietal.

DW breaks down and asks for a pour -- she's denying herself weeknight wine in anticipation of not being able to do her workouts. After one sip, the Merlot gets Mrs. LoonBoarder's nod of approval. "Nice and smooth, good flavors."


Thanks, WineDavid, for the chance to sample and report on this offering.

Feel free to ask any questions if I've left any unanswered!
[Images now visible!]

So... no April Foolery at wine.woot? Only woot and shirt.woot?

LoonBoarder wrote:Kunde Estate Merlot 2005

It all started when a strange man offered me some Kunde. Mom always said that you can't trust strangers, but he seemed nice...

The Fedex truck came by the house to deliver the promised treat, but my wife and I were both at work - a logistical miscalculation on my part, since she is having shoulder surgery next week and I'll be working from home for some time to come. I didn't take into account the possibility that for this, my 50th wine.woot purchase, I'd have the duty -- nay, the honor -- of being a labrat.

The FedEx center is a middling ride from the house, so we drove up and fetched our package. Other errands while we were out delayed the opening until just before 9PM EDT.



Initial impressions - dark cherries, maybe some mocha on the nose. Even a little leather? The first taste - smooth entry, seemed a little lacking in the mid-palate, then a bit of a hot finish. The second taste showed some more balance, the mid-palate filled out and the heat dropped off. This would go well with some cheese.

[rifles through fridge]

Here we go. A little manchego cheese, sliced up.. a bite of the cheese and a sip of the wine -- there's the balance I was looking for. Someone just the other day mentioned the acid from the wine balancing the fattiness from the accompanying food. This is a prime example of that concept.

One glass down.

I poured another glass, and let it sit for a bit; the dog's looking to do his night-time walkies.


Aaaand, we're back. Nice night out. No signs of the skunks that were out the other night, thank FSM!

Back to the Merlot. Now that it's sat in the glass for a bit, the heat on the back end has dissipated a bit. Still goes better with the cheese than all by its lonesome, though. I'm really awful at picking out the various flavor components, but this seems to be a well-integrated, balanced wine that fits my expectations for the varietal.

DW breaks down and asks for a pour -- she's denying herself weeknight wine in anticipation of not being able to do her workouts. After one sip, the Merlot gets Mrs. LoonBoarder's nod of approval. "Nice and smooth, good flavors."


Thanks, WineDavid, for the chance to sample and report on this offering.

Feel free to ask any questions if I've left any unanswered!
[bah. Image links aren't working. I'll try to get 'em fixed tomorrow.]

Nice work Loanboarder. Well worth the internal administrative hoops of choosing a New Hampshire labrat ( read the infamous Jim Barbuti, NHLB )

Estate Kunde at this price is a flat out bargain (imho).

WD

Very good labratage- all three. Right there with you on the Kunde Syrah.

Well played sirs (or maddamme)

WD

winefarm wrote:Nice work Loanboarder.
WD

LoanBoarder? Srsly?

LoonBoarder wrote:LoanBoarder? Srsly?

As in, "Norman, listen! It's the loons! The loons!"

is there a reason Connecticut is absent from the states who allow us to booze with wine.woot? Because it was on that list March 27th.

Haven't had a Kunde for a while. The labrat reports are good and I really enjoy Sonoma wines, so I'm in.

ScottHarveyWines wrote:Haven't had a Kunde for a while. The labrat reports are good and I really enjoy Sonoma wines, so I'm in.

Scott's officially as addicted as the rest of us

rat-a-tat-tats - you've all been packed

Was it indeed Colonel Mustard with the Candlestick?

Wait... was there a clue?

saxwizerd45 wrote:Wait... was there a clue?

If so, we've both missed it

Cadie needs a clue....

Since Scott is our guest blogger again, might we see another offering from him? Maybe something he recommends?

I haven't touched the recent magnums because my signed name along with a full bottle make it hard to crack. But I'd love some additional to make hanging on to these easier!

A fellow wooter noted last week that in the absence of a clue, we would probably be having a non-wine item. It turned out to be the wine cooler. Personally, I am hoping for some more of the balsamic vinegar. It was a hit here in this household. WD - hint, hint!

actually, when there was no clue, it was the cheese wasn't it? not last week but two weeks ago.

Can't speak for the syrah yet, but the merlot was frakkin' great (Miles be damned!). You have to get these people to come back.

Winedavid39 wrote:Will somebody please try the Syrah. It may have been the best one i've had in '09..

Just opened the Syrah last night, paired with some roasted zucchini & tomatoes with pork tenderloin. I think the spices DW used overwhelmed the Syrah, in that I couldn't get much on the nose. Or maybe it's all the tree pollen mucking things up.
DW liked it...I think she's one of those hyper-tasters.

Winedavid39 wrote:Will somebody please try the Syrah. It may have been the best one i've had in '09..

Finally had the Syrah. Very, very good, just behind the Merlot, IMHO. All 3 in this set were quite nice. If they come back, I will buy multiples.