Kunde (4.06)



Open: 10:30am-5:00pm

Appt required? No

Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012

Directions:

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Tasting:
Steph and I almost visited Kunde a few years prior but instead chose Deerfield Ranch, a visit that turned out to be quite enjoyable. I decided on my trip last May to find out what we had missed at Kunde.

Kunde definitely feels very commercialized compared to some of its close neighbors. The parking lot is spacious and paved, the grounds are beautifully maintained, and a long walkway past a large pond leads you to an impressive tasting room. I entered to find a bit of a stuffy and stale atmosphere, although I was warmly greeted by a hostess. She explained that I could do a $10 standard tasting at the bar, a $20 seated reserve tasting in a roped off area just next to the bar…or a $15 reserve tasting if I wanted to stand at the bar and have the exact same wines. I can be one lazy son of a gun, but I’m not that lazy. The $15 standing reserve bar tasting it is!

We started the tasting with the 2010 Reserve Chardonnay. This wine spent 9 months in oak and was your standard buttery California Chardonnay. Passable, but not memorable. My second wine was the 2008 Century Vines Reserve Zin, sourced from 130 year old vines. I found this to be smooth, with some light spice – a decent Zinfandel. The 2008 Meritage 202 was my next wine, one I found a bit tannic and light bodied. Wine #4 was the 2009 Reserve Cabernet, which turned out to be my favorite. It had a unique burst on your palate in the middle of a taste, and good tannic structure that makes me think you could lay it down for several years. We closed the tasting with the 2009 Dunfillan Cuvee, a wine I thought was just okay.

With the tasting completed and nothing that sparked my interest (I liked the Reserve Cab, but not for $60), I headed on my way. I glanced back at the room as I was walking toward the parking lot and noticed a sign next to the pool that just made me laugh. “No Swimming or Wading in Pool, Please” it begged, suggesting that this had happened on several occasions before, at least enough times that they had to a) make a sign and b) add the emphasized “please” on the end, indicating a certain level of exasperation. Kunde was an okay visit with a pretty property, but you can find several better places to stop in eastern Sonoma.



Recommended wine: I thought the Reserve Cab was okay, but there was nothing here I was tempted to purchase.

Ratings (out of 5):


WINE
3.75
TASTING ROOM
4.50

ATMOSPHERE
4.00
VALUE
4.00

OVERALL
4.06

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