Small Lot Offerings

All five classic Bordeaux varieties are planted on our estate site – Ghielmetti Vineyard. When the quality is great enough, we choose the few finest barrels of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec and release a 100% offering of each wine. Each of these wines is meant to not only provide insight into the reasons why it is an ideal blending partner with Cabernet Sauvignon, but also to show how great each wine can be by itself if made with care.

Rarely seen outside of the Winery and rarely numbering more than a hundred or so cases, our Small Lot Offerings are perfect for the passionate and adventurous wine lover.

 
Cabernet Franc

Comprising two blocks (4 and 5CF) and about 5 acres on the Ghielmetti Vineyard, this grape is showing just how suitable the Livermore Valley is for its high-end production. Our first 100% Cabernet Franc (2006 vintage) was released early in 2009, chosen from the single finest barrel of the vintage. As our production of this wine increases, we'll find a move toward about 50% new oak as the variety really shows its aromatics with more neutral wood. Structurally, the wine tends toward a bit more austerity in the mid-palate compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, but its relative leanness accentuates great acidity and fine-grained tannins. The wines greatest attribute, I think, is its very cool aromatic mix of chocolate-covered fruit, firewood on the beach, and roasted herbs. As a wine with food, it may be the best of the Bordeaux varieties: it has the structure to stand up to big meat dishes, but has the grace to pair with fleshy fish, too.

Malbec

Like Carmenère, which is, historically, the sixth red Bordeaux variety and which is making a name for itself in Chile, Malbec is not grown to great extent in Bordeaux any more but is achieving much recognition for high-quality wine in Argentina. Malbec was also seen as a blending grape, adding fruit and tannin to Cabernet Sauvignon. Beautifully grown Malbec, however, is a gorgeous, robust wine. Quite different from Cabernet in its sauvage mix of dried berry and raspberry fruit notes coupled with very significant mid-palate richness and lingering tannin, our 100% 2007 Malbec is a wonderfully big, unapologetically rustic offering. It is our first Malbec as the one block on Ghielmetti Vineyard (Block 13, 5.67 acres) was grafted over from Petite Sirah in 2006. Fewer than 100 cases of this inaugural release were produced. This wine will be released in May 2010.     

Merlot

Two small blocks on the Ghielmetti site (Blocks 6 and 9, 4.73 acres) are devoted to the noble variety of Bordeaux’s Right Bank. In opposition to Cabernet Sauvignon’s austere structure, Merlot is fleshy and opulent. A wonderful blend of ripe red and dark cherry flavor, rich mid-palate and firm finishing structure, the Steven Kent 2006 Merlot is an elegant wine with mid-term (5-7) aging potential. Only the finest barrel was deemed to have high-enough quality to be designated for our Small Lot Offering program. Fewer than 25 cases were produced, and the wine is currently Sold Out.

Petit Verdot

Two blocks on the Ghielmetti Vineyard are devoted to Petit Verdot (3 and 11). Together, the blocks encompass 4.9 acres and are planted on opposite sides of the site. Block 11 is planted to the Forman clone and was grafted over from Sauvigon Blanc in 2006. We harvested our first fruit last year and the 08 vintage is showing great depth of varietal flavor, aroma, and structure. Petit Verdot's history has thus far been written as a minor blending player in Bordeaux and California. Sometimes prone to a bit of a hollow spot in its mid-palate, its chief virtues, at least as seen by most winegrowers, is as a contributor of tannin and color to Cabernet Sauvignon. And while this grape does have significant tannin - expressed mostly on the back of the mid-palate through to the finish - when grown with an eye toward varietal bottling, the wine's gorgeous violet, black fruit, and grapey flavors and aromas and significant body and tannin are more than worthy of a starring role. In the best vintages, we choose the four-six finest barrels of the lot and release them as a 100% unfined and unfiltered offering. The 2006 vintage is sold out, and fewer than 100 cases were produced in 2007. The 2007 Steven Kent Petit Verdot will be released in May 2010 and will be available to order at that time.