2010 Kamen Rhone Style Blend

Kamen Estate Wines was established in 1980 by Robert Mark Kamen, a Hollywood screenwriter with a long string of successful films, including The Karate Kid series. A native of New York City, Kamen bought the 280 acres that is now his estate after the sale of his first screenplay. Until 1996 Kamen’s grapes were sold to premium Sonoma producers, but after a major fire destroyed many vines Kamen replanted and decided to produce his own wines. The first release of Kamen Cabernet Sauvignon was in 1999. Mark Herold is winemaker. The estate makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Grenache and blends.

Sonoma Valley AVA is Sonoma County’s original winegrowing district. Designated as an AVA in 1981, it includes 14,000 vineyard acres in a long, narrow valley that runs north-south. Rather romantically, the valley is also called The Valley of the Moon. The oldest winery in the AVA, and one of the oldest in California, is Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 by a Hungarian count who planted vineyards in Wisconsin before moving to California. Today there are nearly 60 wineries in the AVA producing a variety of wines, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer. The appellation is bordered by mountain ranges on the east and west, which partly account for Sonoma Valley’s unique terroir. The mountains protect it from the cooling weather of the Pacific Ocean and fruit ripens well.