2007 Kinkead Ridge White Revelation

On the verge of picking Roussanne, I came across a great article about this Rhone variety by Patrick Comiskey: "...the single white Rhone variety that has winemakers losing sleep, the one that lures them with its promise and its complexity, just as surely as Ulysses was lured to the rock by the Sirens, is Roussanne... the vine is designed to give winemakers a lifetime of mystery... " Click here to read the article.

Production: 48 cases. $13.95

This wine was predominantly Roussanne. Click here for a great article, "Getting Your Head Around Roussanne."

2007 Kinkead Ridge Riesling

Production 38 cases. $11.95

"Giving Riesling A Go"

"Riesling is the fastest growing white varietal in the U.S. Sales of domestic and imported Riesling have risen for the last two years, with total sales reaching 1.8 million cases for the 52 weeks ending May 31.

Riesling is clean, crisp, classy and food-friendly... pretty much every wine writer and wine professional in the U.S. feels Riesling is the most under-appreciated grape in America."

Review from http://dogswine.blogspot.com

Last night was a 2007 Kinkead Ridge Riesling from southern Ohio. Those are Kinkead Riesling grapes pictured above. There is a whiff of kerosene at the start, then the nose is all about lime peel and white flowers. The taste is citrusy with enough underlying oiliness to give it some body while still retaining the guise of being delicate. It's a nice balancing act and they got it right with this wine.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2004 won a Gold Medal at the Finger Lakes wine competition. Only 141 Gold Medals were awarded to 2126 entries. Only 15 Cabernet Sauvignon's won a Gold Medal. Kinkead Ridge won the only gold medal for a vinifera wine from Ohio. The 2005 won a Silver Medal at the American Wine Society competition when it was very young..

From Irv, New York/NY:

"On Friday night we opened a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and couldn't have been happier with the results. This wine is doing great in the bottle - and is doing better out of the bottle and in the glass. Great Cabernet structure with some forward fruit, good body, nice acid and tannins and oak that have integrated into the fruit. The nose was fruit, wood and tannin and smelled like Cabernet should smell. It was extremely food friendly. Very good wine that has to be at its peak, but not showing any signs of fading."

From Dan McGrew's blog, February 2009:

"The wine of choice for last night was a local wine, a 2005 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon.

There was a really nice bouquet when the cork came out with dark fruits and sweet oak. The color was medium dark and after a few swirls and a sip there were definitely some cassis and black cherries and just a hint of tobacco. A little more swirling and the tobacco faded. This was the first time for this wine other than tasting it at the winery when it was purchased on release. It has settled and matured nicely in the bottle into an extremely drinkable wine. There is nice acid, and there's a tremendous balance between the fruit and the oak. It's a sweet oak taste with soft tannins that sort of envelop your tongue. There's enough in this wine to last a few more years, but it is excellent right now."

Higher alcohol wines should stop! We agree. Read this fabulous article by Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards! Click here.

“It is time for the average wine consumer, as opposed to tasters, to speak up. The current fad of higher and higher alcohol wines should stop.”
 

So begins Randy Dunn, weighing in against the current trend of high alcohol wines. He joins a growingly concerned chorus of respected industry and trade voices lamenting the demise of diversity in the wines of America's most celebrated appellations.

Red Wine Helps Circulation in the Young As Well as the Old. Click here

 

2005 Petit Verdot

The first Kinkead Ridge wine to be on allocation. Production: 76 cases.

From HC, Cincinnati:

"Upon receiving my allocation of the 2005 Petit Verdot from Kinkead Ridge, I brought a bottle home to try with my husband. That evening, I gave it to him blind, as I often do, so as to get his honest reaction. He swirled and took a good sniff. Over the glass, he raised his oversized eyebrows and threw a hopeful glance my way. He then took a sip, chewed and slurped the wine for a moment. 'Very nice. Definitely French,' he announced, 'but I can't quite place it.' I quickly retorted that it was Petit Verdot from Kinkead Ridge. He quickly swallowed the remainder of his small sample and dashed for the bottle. Truth be told, I drank my full glass in a few moments and followed right behind him, as I wanted another look, as the wine was quickly opening up. Although we have been strong advocates of this producer since our founding, we had yet to try any of their Petit Verdot. We refilled our glasses and also drank the whole bottle in a half hour, toasting Ron and Nancy in our kitchen with each newly refreshed glass. I was just dumb-struck how absolutely charming the wine was, with its fragrant pepper and spice nose, beautiful palate, and a very good finish."

Ann Boucher names 2005 Petit Verdot her 2007 Wine of the Year. "My reasons for this choice and the long introduction are simple; the wine is very good and by industry standards is completely unknown. Furthermore, consider that the vineyards are still young and owners, Ron Barrett and Nancy Bentley, have literally and figuratively only scratched the surface of their site. Give the high quality I have observed this far, I do predict big things from Ripley in the future. Chave Hermitage big? Perhaps not, but I think Kinkead Ridge is producing exciting and novel wines, while at the same time quite literally giving birth to a new fine wine region. For this alone they merit high praise and loyal patronage."
 

A guest at the winery in July from Paris told me that the Petit Verdot is so prized by French winemakers, that they often bottle it only for themselves and their families.

Petit Verdot on the Rise in Bordeaux, click here.

Recent posting from blog Two Dogs, a Flamingo and a Bottle of Wine about our Petit Verdot. See http://dogswine.blogspot.com/2009/07/kinkead-ridge-petit-verdot-2005.html
"I've been sitting on half a dozen bottles of the Kinkead Ridge 2005 Petit Verdot for almost two years since its release, tasting it only at the winery on two occasions. Yesterday evening I was moving some wine from one location to another and decided it was time to see if the wait paid off. Dinner was two small lamb chops and some rosemary roasted potatoes and the weather was cool for this time of year. Out came the cork from the bottle.

The wine was intensely dark purple, almost black in the glass. After five or ten minutes it began to open up and offer dark, ripe plums and cassis and a few super dark cherries thrown in the mix. The nose was earthy and there were a few herbs and flowers coming out of the glass as well. The taste was equally about dark fruit, plums and blackberries mostly. The wine was very tannic, but the tannin never interfered with the fruit. During the course of the evening the tannin finally began to settle a little though it still had a wonderful grip. There was good acid and with the tannins softening the finish was smooth, clean and long.

I've had numerous bottles of Kinkead Ridge's wine, both red and white over the last few years and have appreciated all of them. Some are obviously better than others and bottle for bottle my favorite is still their Riesling. This wine, however, is the best I've had from them. It's hard to imagine that it could get any better. Total production was only 76 cases and the wine checked in at an almost perfect 13.4% alcohol. I'm very happy there are five more bottles in the cellar. "
 

 2005 Cabernet Franc

The 2004 won a DOUBLE GOLD Medal, November 2006 American Wine Society International Commercial Competition, Baltimore Maryland. The 2004 was rated 91 by Andrew Jones, International Wine Reviewer.

2004 Cabernet Franc just rated one of the Top 100 Exciting Wines in the World, Tom Stevenson's 2008 Wine Report. Tom is the British editor of the New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia.

October 2007 American Wine Society International Competition, Silver medal, garnered when the wine was extremely young, in competition only one month after release.

We think maybe the "wine honeymoon" wasn't over... "Bottle aging is the anaerobic process when the aromas of the grapes and the aromas and extractives of the oak are married into the bouquet. Grgich called this process, which takes one to two years, "the wine honeymoon."

We're releasing our reds only several months after bottling, and this is why they continue to develop dramatically over time.

From the Tastings column, Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher:
"Give the little guys a chance. It's hard to be a small producer. Small producers often offer wines with special individuality and character... these wines are rare."

"Winemakers aren't what makes wine. Wine makes itself in the vineyard.   We are just wine-watchers."
Jess Jackson. 

SOLD OUT at the winery. Hand-harvested on October 12th, this complex wine's fragrant aromas of black cherry and violet precede a rich finish with chocolate and raspberry overtones. Small-lot fermentations with hand punch-downs and classic small scale winemaking techniques were used to create this wine. Enjoy with beef, turkey, pork and salmon. Aged in premium French and American oak. $17.95. Production: 383 cases.
Medal Winner: 2007 American Wine Society Competition.

Mark Fisher, Dayton Daily News Wine Blog on Kinkead Ridge: Click here...These are NOT Your Grandma's Ohio Wines!

Unsolicited testimonial from David, Powell, Ohio:

October 2007
David Rose blog posting 'Great red wine from Ohio? I found one!'
"The 2005 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc is outstanding! I actually did a blind tasting and had no idea what I was about to discover. The nose was brimming with juicy black berry/cherry and floral accents, finishing with a sweet touch of smoky oak. Then I tasted it... WOW! Top quality! I love the rich smokiness, delicious fruit, and the right amount of spice". Click here to read the post.

"Like all of their wine, the 2005 Cabernet Franc reflects both the unique attributes of Kinkead Ridge's vineyard site and the meticulous viticulture practiced therein. The wine offers readily identifiable varietal characteristics, but taken together its various features are not directly comparable to any other Cab Franc, old or new world. It is unique and I think reflective of this up and coming wine region.

The nose is fragrant, buoyant and bright, somewhere between Chinon and St. Emilion. There is a prettiness to its bouquet that I typically associate only with French Cabernet Franc. I'm happy to report that the promise of the nose is fulfilled on the palate, where bright, well-expressed fruit and delicate floral notes combine with a subtle hint of baker's chocolate. There is a nervy, cherry-ish brightness to the palate, akin to Cru Beaujolais,  but with the addition of deeper flavors. It is old world in style, and if pressed, I would describe it as an artful combination of equal parts St. Emilion, Chinon, and Cru Beaujolais. This is a wine for the table and will compliment a wide range of foods, including the eclectic spread found on the Thanksgiving Table."

--Ann Boucher

 
Wine making is witchcraft... sometimes the spells work, and sometimes they don't. There are no recipes." Nancy Bentley, Kinkead Ridge.
Partner Ron (engineer) has a different perspective... but this is what it seems like to me!

"Wine has to reflect the place it comes from... otherwise it's just a brand name."
Antinori, creator of Ornellaia, 1998 Wine Spectator Wine of the Year, in the movie Mondovino.

From Dayton Wine Blog, April 2010
For wine we opened a 2005 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc. Great, mature color in the glass and the nose smelled of ripe black cherries with a hint of dark chocolate. There was also the sensation of rich, black soil with spring dampness to it. The taste was loaded with those cherries, along with a few black raspberries, the hint of chocolate and that sensation of dark soil. The acid was more than good and there was just enough tannin on the finish to clear the palate. Since the steak wasn't overly smokey this wine was a perfect match. I'm becoming a big fan of KR's reds when they are about three of four years out from the vintage. The youthful exuberance is gone and replaced by a delicious maturity. The current release of this wine is 2007, with the 2008 vintage due out in September.


 

   2005 Syrah

Kinkead Ridge 2005 Syrah rated on the Most Exciting and Unusual Finds list, Atlantic Northeast Region, Tom Stevenson, British Wine Editor of the 2009 Wine Report. "Ohio Syrah? Yes! Former Oregon grower Ron Barrett keeps proving the viability of the limestone soils along the Ohio River."
 

The 2004 was rated 90 by Andrew Jones, International Wine Reviewer.
 

We are often asked how long you can cellar our wines. Here's a 2007 Christmas review of the 2001 Syrah:

"I had family over for Christmas and I wanted a special wine for the occasion.  I dug around in my wine cellar and I found a bottle of 2001 Syrah from Kinkead Ridge. I was the best I have had.  It aged perfectly.  The nose had a very light scent of oak/earthy. The taste up front was fruity (blackberry to current) with a pleasant amount of astringency. It finished with a wonderful amount oak/chocolate and even a little vanilla.  It was great wine thanks." --Russ Berry

Snooth on Syrah:

"One of the few grapes to really be a global success. Syrah combines a meaty core of ripe berry fruit, with tones that range from herbal to peppery, in a package that tends to be medium bodied with good acidity and moderate tannins. With age the wines can gain lovely leathery and black olive notes that make them a great match for savory and gamy dishes."

2006 Viognier/Roussanne

The 2004 Kinkead Ridge Ohio River Valley Viognier/Roussanne ($15) bested the 2003 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, France ($25) in the first-ever Ohio Wine Challenge, in which wine experts from North America judged Ohio wines against wines from Europe and California. Click here for the press release.

Tom Stevenson's 2006 Wine Report. 
Kinkead Ridge 2003 Viognier/Roussanne named one of the top 100 Exciting New Wines in the World. 
Viognier/Roussanne 2003 Kinkead Ridge, Ohio (Atlantic Northeast, US $15). Sandra Silfven, wine writer Detroit Daily News: "Crisp, flinty, bone-dry, palate-coating tropical flavours. Starkly clean"

SOLD OUT at the winery. GOLD MEDAL, 2007 American Wine Society Competition, October 2007.

A Rhone blend of aristocratic varieties. The Viognier was hand-harvested on October 6 and the Roussanne on October 9. This complex and enticing wine has the kiwi and guava aromas of Roussanne merging with the orange blossom and golden raisin aromas of Viognier. An excellent, dry wine with fish, shellfish and poultry, or serve as you would an aperitif. Serve chilled. $14.95. Production: 303 cases. 

Bernard Portet, the founding winemaker of Clos Du Val in the Napa Valley and of Domaine Nizas in France says this about the 2004 Viognier/Roussanne:

"Finally did I find the opportunity to open up your bottle of Viognier-Roussanne with a couple of friends and then with John Clews, the VP, Director of Vineyard and Winery Operations of Clos Du Val. I did like it very much. I did find it very fragrant but not shouting “Viognier” all over the place, elegant, with plenty of charm. Balanced and equally elegant and charming palate. Much of the character of its aroma could be found in its taste. There was a great balance of fullness, freshness, and good complexity, along with a good finish. Definitely a very enjoyable wine. John did concur with the above. Congratulations!"

Jon Christensen (Columbus Dispatch) reviewed our Viognier/Roussanne
2004 Kinkead Ridge (Ohio River Valley) Viognier-Roussanne ($14.95)
"This remarkable achievement deserves to be compared to the priciest dry whites from France's Rhone Valley. Its rich hints of apricot and other stone fruits, minerally crisp finish, food-accompanying versatility and restrained alcohol put this southern Ohio gem ahead of just about anything close to its price. "

A wine writer tasted this wine with an importer and colleagues at the Winds, where they were presenting their wines from the south of France, including a new Roussanne-Viognier cuvee. The group was "enormously impressed and amazed. The wine displayed the kind of balance they are trying to achieve."

 2006 Revelation 

SOLD OUT at the winery. Still available in selected stores around Ohio. Hand-harvested on September 22, this winegrowers' blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and small quantities of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Melon, is crisp, refreshing and aromatic. The wine has aromas of melon, grapefruit and gooseberry with a mineral finish. This zesty wine stylistically reflects a French more than a California character. A classic accompaniment to shellfish, mildly acidic cheeses and full-flavored cuisine. Serve chilled. $12.95. Production: 125 cases.

White wine turns up in King Tutankhamen's tomb! Click here to read the story

Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher talk about American Sauvignon Blanc in the Wall Street Journal:

"...many people now consider Sauvignon Blanc a great summertime wine, and they're right: It's refreshing, good with lighter food and very easy to enjoy... this grape can be as bright and aromatic as fresh-mown grass in the sunshine; rich and earthy; dry or a little sweet; an elegant wine when paired with its traditional blending partner, Semillon.... In this mix, we believe that some American winemakers are now creating Sauvignon Blanc that is special, with its own style."

2006 Riesling

SOLD OUT at the winery. Still available in selected stores around Ohio. Hand-harvested on September 27th, apple, rose petal and honeysuckle notes precede a flinty finish. This racy wine's floral front palate and sweetness balance its crisp acidity. The grapes were cold-fermented to preserve aromatic components. Serve chilled with cold meats, fresh salads, light cheeses, poultry, veal and Asian cuisine. Residual sugar. 1.2%. 100% Riesling. $11.95. Production: 184 cases.

"Riesling is wine's purest play. What you find in the vineyard is what you get in your glass. Everywhere you find Riesling, you can find a truth of place." Matt Kramer

Is Riesling Finally Chic?
"After years of snubbing by high-octane cabernet drinkers, riesling is finally experiencing a revival, driven by the industry's top writers (Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson), numerous chefs and restaurateurs, and even some daring American wine writers like Dan Berger. Younger drinkers who want to distinguish thems from the BFC crowd will likely be riesling buyers, and while semi-sweet riesling sells like hot cakes, dry riesling can appeal to connoisseurs. All of this is a boon to riesling producers in the east."
Richard Leahy, Vineyard and Winery Management, March/April 2006

Review in April 2010:

In mid afternoon we pulled the cork from a Kinkead Ridge 2006 Riesling. We drank a bottle of the current vintage (2008) a few weeks ago and decided it was time to try an older one. The nose was still kerosene and lime zest. The color had darkened just a bit but it still was bright and clear. After a few swirls in the large glass the aromas switched positions with the lime zest being a little stronger than the kerosene.

Nice tart taste from the wonderful acidity. I could pick up the lime in the taste but it was mostly a white peach and yellow apple taste. Very appealing. Medium weight and being just off dry gave the wine a wonderful mouth feel. I loved this wine when it was fresh and new, and I like it just as well now. It was easy to sip with some crackers and an appetizer of chicken and lemon grass.

Matt Kramer, Wine Spectator, on Riesling:

"What's so fascinating about Riesling is not only its range of flavor expression but also its geographic range of performance. Although Chardonnay is seemingly grown everywhere, it's too often banal. This is why winemakers go through so many cellar contortions involving oak, lees stirring and the like just to give it some personality. Riesling, on the other hand, delivers characterful goods in an amazing array of location.
What's more, apart from a decision about how much residual sweetness to leave in, winemakers tend not to do much to Riesling. There's no lees stirring, no business about medium or heavy toast oak, and little agonizing over yeasts or enzymes.
Riesling is wine's purest play. What you find in the vineyard is what you get in your glass. Everywhere you find Riesling, you can find a truth of place."

 
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

GOLD MEDAL. Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, March 2007.

Rated 91: Andrew Jones, International Wine Reviewer

Silver Medal, November 2006 American Wine Society International Commercial Competition, Baltimore Maryland
 (This wine was very young at this point and tight. As evidenced by the gold medal above, it is now showing its promise.)

Click here for the newspaper story about this wine.

Released September 2006. SOLD OUT August 2007. Hand-harvested on October 11th, this dark ruby, well structured, complex wine displays classic cabernet aromas of cassis, plum and black cherry. Toasty notes come from ageing in premium French and American oak. Small-lot fermentations with hand punch-downs and classic small scale winemaking techniques were used to create this wine. Enjoy with beef, lamb, or wild game. $17.95

Perry, Cincinnati, says: "Do you still have the 2004 Cab available at the winery?  I went to a local vendor and they were out.  We went to your "opening day" tasting and bought a 3 bottles of your cab. That night, I made a nice flank steak on the grill and the cab was AWESOME!  It was as good if not better than Grgich Hills and Jordan I have had on business trips."

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon rated 91 by Andrew Jones.
"This rich ruby coloured wine is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and has been blended with 6% Cabernet Franc for the first time, as well as 19% Petit Verdot making it the type of classic Bordeaux-style blend you would find in many chateaux in the Médoc region. It has quite a deep ruby color, offers vanilla hints from a mix of American and French oak and tempts with classic blackcurrant, plum and violet aromas before producing Morello cherry flavours on the flavorsome palate. The oak aging has contributed hints of vanilla and gentle, soft tannins which balance well with the fruit."

 
August 4, 2007
The last bottle of 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, autographed by the winegrower, leaves the winery with Liz.  This wine may still be available in wine stores in Ohio.

Write-up by Dan McGrew in November 2009, from California:

"Earlier in the week there was a rib eye roast that was seasoned simply and cooked in in a moderate oven. I always make it a habit to take a bottle of wine with me so this year for the first time I took an Ohio wine, Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2004 vintage. Like the title of this piece says, taking an Ohio Cabernet to northern California is rather like carrying the coals to Newcastle to help the city burn a little more. It was a very good wine that is now at its peak. The tannins have matured and softened a little but the wine retained good acid and its currant flavors. Good match with the rib roast and not out of place in any way in some very good company. "

Greg, NYC: 2004 Kinkead Ridge Cab Sauv, Ohio River – what to say about this wine that Loren brought. I was simply floored. If you are not going to expect much in the way of wine from a state, that state has to be Ohio. Or so I thought.

Not true.

The wine was stunning, partly because my expectations were so low and even more because it was so damn good. That was a real cab. The nose demonstrated the expected varietal cassis and herbal qualities, the palate had the tart black fruit, a touch of herbs, some tobacco, a bit of wood that hasn't yet integrated fully – in short, just a wonderful young cab. And seventeen bucks. I'm trying to think of a cab from California that delivers at the same level for the price. Perhaps Beckmen? BV Rutherford? I'd like to try this blind with some of those. This was just a wonderful surprise from Ohio.

Perry, Cincinnati, says: "Do you still have the 2004 Cab available at the winery?  I went to a local vendor and they were out.  We went to your "opening day" tasting and bought a 3 bottles of your cab. That night, I made a nice flank steak on the grill and the cab was AWESOME!  It was as good if not better than Grgich Hills and Jordan I have had on business trips."

Review from Bridget in Cincinnati:
"WOW, your 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon was spectacular! I have to admit, I was "all about" the California wines and did not think that an Ohio wine could wine me over, but after smelling and tasting this gem... Well, let's just say that there is a new kid on the block in my wine cabinet these days! Great job! Thank you for making such a wonderful wine!"

 2004 Cabernet Franc

DOUBLE GOLD Medal, November 2006 American Wine Society International Commercial Competition, Baltimore Maryland

"I am a member of the American Wine Society and part of the competition committe. As (pay) for helping we get a few bottles of wine to try. In 2006 I got your 04 Cab Franc that was a double gold. While rearranging my cellar I ran across it and since we were going to a friends house (3 of A.W.S. judges)for dinner I took it along to try. WOW it was great. It was soft with good mouth feel and all or the qualities that a cab franc should have. Thank you for making such a nice and enjoyable wine." J. Hoffman

Released September 2006. SOLD OUT at the winery December 2006.  This wine may still be available at our wine stores and restaurants throughout Ohio. 

Hand-harvested on October 1st, this wine's fragrant aromas of plum, violet, and black cherry precede a taste of fruity, full-bodied, richly flavored complexity, with chocolate, spice and raspberry overtones. Aged in premium American and French oak barrels. A fine companion for beef, turkey, pork and richly flavored stews. $16.95

Lenn Thompson, New York wine writer on this wine:

As someone who was born and raised in western Pennsylvania, four things come to mind when I think about neighboring Ohio – bad drivers, Sea World, Cedar Point amusement park and the much-hated Cleveland Browns. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I was raised to loathe our neighbors to the west, but they definitely weren't looked upon fondly.

Now, after tasting the wines of Kinkead Ridge, An Estate Winery, there is at least one thing I can say that I love about the Buckeye State.

Located just outside of Ripley, Ohio, Kinkead Ridge Winery grows only vinifera grapes in their vineyard, including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Viognier, Roussanne and Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard lies on ridges rising more than 400 feet above the nearby Ohio River and the soil is 30 inches deep to broken limestone, rich in clay and well drained. This drainage is ideally suited to growing fine wines, though winter can be cold enough to damage less hardy varieties.

Cabernet Franc is one of my favorite varieties, and if you love the red wines of the Loire Valley, I can't recommend Kinkead Ridge's 2004 Cabernet Franc enough.

A deep violet-crimson in the glass, black cherry dominates the nose with more subtle aromas of dusty cocoa, black pepper and violets. This is an extremely full flavored wine, with black raspberry, cherry, black pepper, and dark chocolate flavors mingling on a rich, balanced palate. Well-integrated, smooth tannins and just a little lick of acidity make this a wine of unusual character and balance.

Best of all, at $17 per bottle, it's an excellent value.

Kinkead Ridge 2004 Cabernet Franc rated one of the Top 100 Exciting Wine Finds, international list compiled by Tom Stevenson, British editor of the New Sothebys Wine Encyclopedia and publisher of the paperback Wine Report 2008. "Succulent, intensely flavored fruit, ripe, supple tannins, and a truckload of flavors--from cherries, cassis, chocolate, and cream, to vanilla and coconut."--Sandra Silfven, Atlantic Northeast editor of the 2008 Wine Report "This shows what promise there is in Ohio." --Tom Stevenson

2004 Kinkead Ridge Cabenet Franc, #7 on the Top 10 List of Greatest Quality Wines from the Atlantic Northeast

Feedback from Gourmet Sensation. The chef from Michel Rostang, Paris, France, (www.michelrostang.com) was given a taste of this wine. Later in the evening he came back and asked for a glass. When we told him the price, he asked us to repeat the price several times. He said it reminded him of a Chinon and could not believe it was only $16.95!

Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc 2004 -- Ann Boucher, Serendipity Wine Shop

I gave this wine to my husband blind and asked him what he thought. He raised the glass to his nose, swirled and took a good sniff. Putting on his best airs, he said, without skipping a beat, "very nice... Cabernet France... definitely French." Then he took a good sip into his mouth, swirled and chewed the wine for a moment, and completed his diagnosis, "Bordeaux." Always the business man, he then asked, "how much and what's the stock status?" never guessing he could be wrong about the wines provenance. When I told him it was Kinkead Ridge 2004 Cabernet Franc, his eyes lit up. When I told him that it will retail for $16.99 his jaw dropped. As for stock status, only 355 cases were made. Needless to say not much to go around, and if history is any guide, it will all be gone fast.

Red Wine Ingredient May Delay Aging
Click here to read the article.

Whole Foods in Columbus Ohio chose this wine to serve at dinner to John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods Market. 

November/December TheWineBuzz Wine Finds review:

"Aroma of dark fruit with hints of bell pepper and clove; full of bright cherry flavors tempered by substantial tannins and good acidity."

From dogswine.blogspot.com, date July 2008
With the lamb there was a 2004 Kinkead Ridge, Ohio River Valley Cabernet Franc. Nice dark cherry fruit up front with hints of bright red cherries mixed in. Good acid and plenty of soft tannin to carry everything else along. Very balanced wine with a nice finish. It seemed a little short in the finish at first but the second glass - poured from a small decanter - solved that problem. The third glass was the best and was a perfect foil for the lamb. The fruit of the wine and the gaminess of the lamb were a great match. I have said it several times, but here it is again; it's wonderful to have a local, Ohio winery producing great wines that match with good food.

 2004 Syrah

Bronze Medal, November 2006 American Wine Society International Commercial Competition, Baltimore Maryland

Rated: 90. Andrew Jones, International Wine Reviewer.
 

Released September 2006. SOLD OUT at the winery, January 2007. Hand-harvested on October 12th, this spicy, intense and luxurious wine has excellent balance, deep ruby color and notes of earth, plum cloves, white pepper, and dark berry. The grapes were cold-soaked, fermented in small bins, and punched down by hand. Oak-aged. Excellent with beef, lamb, braised chicken, and spicy cuisine. Less than 200 cases, this wine will not last long. $19.95

From PJ Sentinel.com, March 31, 2006
"Syrah the next big thing in  wine world."

"If pinot noir is the new merlot, syrah must be the new pinot noir.

Two years after the movie “Sideways” made it fashionable to drink pinot noir and diss merlot, a new kid has begun its own rise to ga-ga fame.

You can call it syrah or shiraz, as it’s known in South Africa, Australia, and Canada — the two are identical twins. And, as in the case of all good things, many people want to claim the shiraz grape as their own.

One story says the grape was named after the city of Shiraz, Iran, which some historians say originated winemaking more than 7,000 years ago. Another story says shiraz was brought into southern France by a returning crusader, Guy De’Sterimberg, who eventually became a hermit (hence the grape’s third name, “hermitage”) and developed a vineyard on one of the steep hills in the Rhone River Valley.

Those claims were refuted in 1998 when research by the University of California at Davis and the French National Agronomy Archives in Montpellier showed the grape actually originated somewhere in the northern Rhone Valley of France as a hybrid of the dureza and mondeuse blanche grape varieties. "

Click here to read the rest of the article....

Review by Ann Boucher, Serendipity Wine Shope, Columbus, Ohio Kinkead Ridge Syrah 2004
This wine brings me back to the cellar of Denis Alary, a top notch producer in Cairanne, a Village appellation in the Cote-du-Rhone. A few years back, I was sampling through various wine in barrel and came upon a Syrah of which Denis was particularly proud. Still very young and closed-up, it was obvious that the wine was going to be great. Similarly, the Kinkead Ridge Syrah is presently closed up and a bit awkward, due to its youth. But there is no doubt that this wine is going places, and I, for one, want to be there when it arrives! Everything about it hints of big things to come -- subtle raspberry, a bit of spice, with a hefty curtain of tannins, obscuring everything from full view.

Definitely not ready to drink, today, but if you are looking for a special and unique wine, that will amply reward, given a little cellar-time, you cannot go wrong with this one. As with everything that Kinkead Ridge produces, quantities are very limited, as only 149 cases were produced in 2004. Get it while you can or you may have to wait until next year.

ACT GLOBALLY... DRINK LOCALLY!

"We can detect over 10,000 different components in vinifera wines, which is a lucky break for wine critics who would get pretty bored writing "tastes like wine," over and over again."
--Jennifer Rosen, The Cork Jester's Guide to Wine

November/December TheWineBuzz Wine Finds review:

"Peppery nose with a touch of earth, cedar and vanilla; smooth black cherry flavors with a hint of cocoa and cloves. Restrained European style."

Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher on American Syrah, September 2006, Wall Street Journal:

"Syrah should be a wine of personality, with big, wintry tastes that require big, wintry dishes, and, indeed, it was clear from the beginning of the tasting that Syrah remains a wimemaker's wine, with distinctive features shining through....while too many wines these days have become the same, American Syrah retains its personality and distinctiveness... It is impossible to know which American Syrah you might see on shelves. But our tasting indicates that it's hard to go wrong with one if you're looking for a distinctive, cold-weather wine to serve with hearty food tonight." (Note from Nancy: their favorite Syrah was Dunham, $44.99 for the 2002 and $39.99 for the 2003... makes ours at $19.95 look like a pretty good bargain!)

Last year this wine sold out in two weeks.

Kinkead Ridge (pronounced Kin-kAYd) ultra-premium and River Village Cellars (second label) premium wines are hand-crafted and reflect our unwavering commitment to quality. Our estate wines express the unique character of our ridge-top site and ancient limestone soils. 

Our  critically-acclaimed wines (all Ohio River Valley appellation) are available in fine wine stores, retail outlets, and restaurants in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton,  Oxford, Lebanon, Nelsonville, West Union, Georgetown, Wilmot, Mainville, Middletown, New Richmond, Manchester, Ripley,  Chagrin Falls and Adams County  We also have direct web/phone sales within Ohio. 

2005 River Village Cellars White Table Wine, a Viognier/Roussanne blend.

Bronze Medal, November 2006 American Wine Society International Commercial Competition, Baltimore Maryland

Red wine and white wine may be equally good for your heart! Click here

A Rhone blend of aristocratic varieties. Hand-harvested on September 25th and 28th, this complex and enticing wine has the rich, distinctive aromas of violet, golden raisin and orange blossom of Viognier layered with the stone fruit and kiwi notes of Roussanne. An excellent dry wine with fish, shellfish, and spicy food, or serve as you would an aperitif wine. 62% Viognier, 38% Roussanne, a slightly higher percentage of Viognier than last year.  Last year, this was a Kinkead Ridge wine. Because it went through malolactic fermentation (on its own!), stylistically this is a very different wine from the 2004, and we have decided to release it under our second label. $9.95

"The world does not need another Chardonnay".  Rudy Von Strasser, Napa Valley wine producer.

ABC: Anything but Chardonnay! Try this Viognier/Roussane. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Recently acquired by: 

2005 Riesling

Is Riesling Finally Chic?
"After years of snubbing by high-octane cabernet drinkers, riesling is finally experiencing a revival, driven by the industry's top writers (Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson), numerous chefs and restaurateurs, and even some daring American wine writers like Dan Berger. Younger drinkers who want to distinguish thems from the BFC crowd will likely be riesling buyers, and while semi-sweet riesling sells like hot cakes, dry riesling can appeal to connoisseurs. All of this is a boon to riesling producers in the east."
Richard Leahy, Vineyard and Winery Management, March/April 2006

2005 River Village Cellars Traminette

Second label 2005 River Village Cellars Traminette

Traminette is a hybrid grape, very winter hardy and disease resistant. One of its parents is Gewurztraminer. This wine, at 1.9% residual sugar, is our sweetest wine. The grapes were purchased from an Ohio River Valley grower. This is the only vintage of Traminette we will ever produce, as we purchased the grapes as a favor to this fledgling vineyard.

Regular visitors to this web site already are aware that we tend somewhat in our approach to stray from the local norm in growing and marketing wine. Some have alleged that we are crazy, but that's another story! From the start we have been wedded to the concept that any wine bearing the Kinkead Ridge label must never disappoint the buyer willing to pay a super to ultra-premium price for a wine. So the question becomes: What do we do with an excellent  wine  which is not in the ultra-premium category? Our solution is the European model of  creating a second label, River Village Cellars, for these  wines.  Look to River Village for value-priced, everyday wines. (In 2001 through 2003 this label was known as Kinkead Cellars.) $8.95

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

Review by Ann Boucher, Serendipity Wine Shop, Columbus, Ohio
Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Although the wine shows many of the hallmarks of classic Cabernet Sauvignon: black cherry, cassis and artful barrel aging, it also exhibits charming singularities not found in Cabernet from the Napa Valley or Bordeaux. Namely, the wine is not muscular, heavy or in anyway over proportioned. Rather, it's bright and focused, a wine with poise -- more like a well-appointed debutant, than a hulking NFL lineman. We all know the latter, over extracted, over oaked... just plain over the top! Fine for sipping now and then but poorly suited for the table. Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon offers delicate perfume. It is a pretty, almost feminine wine, and brings to mind the great reds of Chinon, Bourgueil or even Cru Beaujolais. A Frenchman would argue that the finesse and perfume comes from the limestone based soil, and I would tend to agree. This is a wine of place, very old world in style, perfectly suited to the table, and unique to Ohio.

Silver Medal, International Finger Lakes Wine Competition, April 2006. 

Bronze medal. 2005 American Wine Society commercial wine competition, Las Vegas. So many people have gotten used to the Australian and California model of fermenting the wine on oak chips so the wine is  mellow  when  released. We prefer the Bordeaux model of allowing the wine to reach its full potential over a multi-year window. This wine will continue to improve in the bottle and could be cellared for 2-3 years at least.

The Wine Spectator, May 2006, estimates that of the California cabernets, zinfandels and syrahs  "at least half, maybe even more, of the producers in California are de-alcing." There are two processes to de-alcoholize wines that approach 14-17%, reverse osmosis and spinning cones.  Some wineries add water to the fermentation vats to reduce potential alcohol... 70 gallons of water per 1000 gallons of unfermented juice. THAT'S a neat trick... more volume... more wine for sale. This is just one of many tricks that producers are using to manipulate their wines...  What I would like to say is that with Kinkead Ridge, "what you see is what you get... and what you drink is what we grew."

The Wine Buzz, Volume 3, Number 3, p. 27 WineFinds
"Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 (Ohio River Valley); $17.95. Medium bodied and slightly tart, with chocolaty cherry and tobacco flavors." 

Andrew Jones, international wine writer
WOW rating: 88
"This is the first Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon ever released and replaces the Revelation blend of 2002 and 2001. A small quantity of Petit Verdot was used in the blend. Kinkead Ridge continues to demonstrate that the Ohio River Valley can surprise America with the character and quality of its Cabernet Sauvignon. Whilst this example is not from the greatest vintage and the vines are still relatively young, the result is rewarding. This Cabernet Sauvignon has a healthy ruby color and an aroma of blackcurrants and morello cherries. Small French and American oak casks contribute to the vanilla hints and toasty characteristics. Try this wine with herb-roasted chicken, lamb sprinkled with rosemary and soft cheeses."

2003 Cabernet Franc

Released at the winery September 3 and 5,  2005 (Labor Day weekend). We recently had  the owner of La Vigne vineyard  open our 2001 Cabernet Franc. He said it was dynamite. Our wines age well in the bottle. Sandra Silfven, Detroit wine writer says: "The Cab Franc was an utter delight. I called it a "happy" wine. The nose was so bright, the flavors so over-the-top correct. In my mind, I compared the body and mouthfeel to a French red burgundy. It was not the high-extract deal, but very powerful for not having that concentration that is so popular in California. Three days later, the nose was just as sassy."

The Wine Buzz, Volume 3, Number 3: "Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc, 2003 (Ohio River Valley); $15.95. Rustic, slightly barnyard nose, but big juicy Cab Franc flavors of cherries, berries and herbs."

"Cabernet Franc, in addition to being easier to ripen in the East than Cabernet Sauvignon, is considered to outperform its California counterpart in winemaking." 
--Editors, Wine East Magazine, July/August 2005.

"Depending a great deal on vineyard practices, the flavor profile of Cabernet Franc may be both fruitier and sometimes more herbal or vegetative than Cabernet Sauvignon, although lighter in both color and tannins. Over-cropping and underexposure each tend to accentuate the vegetative flavor elements. Typically somewhat spicy in aroma and often reminiscent of plums and especially violets, Cabernet Franc is more often used as a secondary or tertiary element in varietally-blended red wines, such as Bordeaux or Meritage, instead of as a stand-alone varietal bottling."
http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/cab-franc.htm

In the 2005 bottlings, we do plan to blend some Franc and Petit Verdot into the Sauvignon, and some Sauvignon into the Franc.

 2005 Revelation 

Hand-harvested on September 18th, this winegrower's Bordeaux  blend is aromatic and refreshing. The wine has aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and melon, with a honey note and a mineral finish. This zesty wine stylistically reflects a French more than a California character. A classic accompaniment to full-flavored cuisine.  The blend consists of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and small quantities of other white vinifera from our experimental block.  Limited production. $12.95

White wine turns up in King Tutankhamen's tomb! Click here to read the story

2004 Viognier/Roussanne

A Rhone blend of aristocratic varieties. Hand-harvested on September 14 and 15, this complex and enticing wine has the rich, distinctive aromas of violet and orange blossom of Viognier merging with the stone fruit and kiwi notes of Roussanne. An excellent, dry wine with fish, shellfish and spicy food, or serve as you would an aperitif wine. Production: 177 cases. 66% Viognier, 34% Roussanne. The 2003 V/R won a bronze medal at the 2004 American wine society competition, and we think this one is even better.

Bernard Portet, the founding winemaker of Clos Du Val in the Napa Valley and of Domaine Nizas in France says this about the 2004 Viognier/Roussanne:

"Finally did I find the opportunity to open up your bottle of Viognier-Roussanne with a couple of friends and then with John Clews, the VP, Director of Vineyard and Winery Operations of Clos Du Val. I did like it very much. I did find it very fragrant but not shouting “Viognier” all over the place, elegant, with plenty of charm. Balanced and equally elegant and charming palate. Much of the character of its aroma could be found in its taste. There was a great balance of fullness, freshness, and good complexity, along with a good finish. Definitely a very enjoyable wine. John did concur with the above. Congratulations!"

Jon Christensen (Columbus Dispatch) reviews our Viognier/Roussanne
2004 Kinkead Ridge (Ohio River Valley) Viognier-Roussanne ($14.95)
"This remarkable achievement deserves to be compared to the priciest dry whites from France's Rhone Valley. Its rich hints of apricot and other stone fruits, minerally crisp finish, food-accompanying versatility and restrained alcohol put this southern Ohio gem ahead of just about anything close to its price. "

Bronze Medal, 2005 American Wine Society commercial wine competition, Las Vegas. Released at the winery, July 2, 2005
For more about Viognier, see www.enjoyingviognier.com

Featured on The Dish with Chef Jean Robert de Cavel. Click here  for video clips, and click on Wine Suggestions for Chicken stuffed with Wild Mushrooms and  Asparagus for Matt Citriglia's review of the 2004 Viognier/Roussanne... "sublimely fragrant and elegant restrained white wine that would stand up to any of the best that the southern Rhone has to offer"... "Most wineries in Ohio run from vinifera grapes... Ron Barrett and Nancy Bentley took on the challenge and have grown a variety of vinifera right here in Ripley on the limestone ridges." Matt is Ohio's only Master Sommelier. 

The 2004 Kinkead Ridge Ohio River Valley Viognier/Roussanne ($15) bested the 2003 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, France ($25) in the first-ever Ohio Wine Challenge, in which wine experts from North America judged Ohio wines against wines from Europe and California. Click here for the press release.

The Wine Buzz, Volume 3, Number 1, p. 16. 
Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne, 2004 (Ohio River Valley); $14.95
Floral, citrus and tropical notes on the nose, followed by plenty of fruit -- think kiwi and lime -- and a bit of minerality. Good balance, good acid and nice depth. Only 177 cases of this wine were made. Cheers to winery owners Nancy Bentley and Ron Barrett for trying something new in Ohio.

Andrew Jones, international wine writer and editor 
WOW rating: 88
"Another distinctive dry white blend from Kinkead Ridge, the wine kings of Ripley, Ohio. This stylish wine offers a tempting orange blossom bouquet, followed by hints of kiwi fruit, peaches and tropical fruit on the palate. Its hallmark is finesse and it leaves a lingering aftertaste. Pair this elegant wine with delicately flavored dishes, sushi or seafood risotto."

Tom Stevenson's 2006 Wine Report. 
Kinkead Ridge 2003 Viognier/Roussanne named one of the top 100 Exciting New Wines in the World. 
Viognier/Roussanne 2003 Kinkead Ridge, Ohio (Atlantic Northeast, US $15). Sandra Silfven, wine writer Detroit Daily News: "Crisp, flinty, bone-dry, palate-coating tropical flavours. Starkly clean"
Tom:
"In complete contrast to Domaine du Clovallon, this Viognier has balls: 48 percent Roussanne balls, to be precise. Excellent structure and acidity. Cutting-edge Atlantic Northeast -- I really must pay a visit!"
This wine is sold out at the winery, the 2004 is even better.

2003 Syrah

SOLD OUT within 2 weeks of release. 

Bronze medal, 2005 American Wine Society commercial wine competition Las Vegas. 

Released at the winery September 3 and 5, 2005
Early review by John Poston, www.ellerbebecket.com
"I  opened a bottle of 2003 Syrah before the official release date.  . . a lovely wine with a kind of elegance one doesn't expect from Syrah.   Visually, it reminds me of a Pinot Noir, but the nose is instantly the classic meaty Syrah.   Taste also is very classic, with that meat, olive and spice that I really love in Syrah.  All in all, nice restraint and a perfectly balanced wine.  I really, really liked it."

From: The 30 Second Wine Adviser

Syrah, Shiraz, Sirah ... what's the difference? Historically, it's been simple enough, if a bit confusing, to sort out these similar grape names:

• Syrah is the great French red-wine variety of the Rhone Valley, a grape that legend traces to the Crusaders but that in reality goes even farther back, probably brought to Gaul by the Romans some 2,000 years ago.
• Shiraz is the name that the Australians gave Syrah, perhaps inspired by that same Crusader legend, which holds - romantically if inaccurately - that the French knight Gaspard de Sterimberg brought the first vines home to his Hermitage vineyard in the Rhone from Shiraz in Persia.
• Sirah-with-an-I - Petite Sirah - is a California grape most likely named by 19th century marketers to evoke the real Syrah. Known in France as Durif and long thought to be unrelated to Syrah, it's now known to be a direct descendant of Syrah, a cross between true Syrah and another little-known French variety, Peloursin. This lineage is further complicated by the fact that some old California "field-blend" vineyards of mixed vines have traditionally been misidentified as Petite Sirah.

2004 Riesling

2004 Revelation (White Wine)

SOLD OUT JULY 4. Released at the winery, May 28, 2005.  The next wine that is very limited production is the 2003 Syrah, only 56 cases produced. 

Review in August 2008 from Jim Stutzman, Virginia:

"I was dazzled the other day. A bottle of your 2004 Revelation had wandered off to the wine cellar netherlands. When I found it, I chilled it down a bit for lunch, and when I tried it - WOW! - Very impressive."

2002 Kinkead Ridge Revelation

American Wine Society Commercial Competiton 2004: SILVER MEDAL. 

This Bordeaux-style blend has hints of cherry, blackberry, and black currant which precede a rich, complex finish. 53% Cabernet Franc, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot . The grapes were cold-soaked, fermented in small bins with hand punch-downs, and aged in premium quality American oak barrels. $18

From a well-known Oregon winegrower: "We had a bottle of the '02 Revelation recently... we all thought it was dynamite and it would give a lot of Frenchies a run for their money!"

2003 Kinkead Ridge Viognier/Roussanne

Released September 4 at the winery.

International wine writer Andrew Jones gives this wine a 90.

More about Viognier:

"A few years ago, Viognier  was a rarity. In 1965, only 8 hectares were
found almost exclusively in Condrieu in the northern Rhône. Nowadays, this stylish exotically aromatic variety has been noticed, and is spreading across the south of France in Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence, as well as in California. Viognier produces an intense, dry white wine, lots of fruit and a flavour mingling apricot, apple, peach and violet with a hint of honey. Viognier is best drunk young. It is beautiful with spicy Asiatic dishes orwith medium to strong cheeses. It is also an unusual choice for simply prepared lobster, roast chicken and sole or trout."

"There is so much contained in a glass of good wine. It is a gift of nature that tastes of man's foibles, his sense of the beautiful, his idealism and virtuosity." 
Kermit Lynch, Adventures on the Wine Route

Winegrowers Note:

Because of the frost on May 29, 2002, which took out up to 80% of the harvest on the East Coast, including Ohio, New York, and Indiana, we were unable to bottle varietally; all of the red grapes were blended into the 2002 Revelation. The 2003 and 2004 vintages will be varietal only. 

2003 Kinkead Cellars Riesling

2001 Kinkead Ridge Révélation Red Wine

MARCH 2009

2001 KINKEAD RIDGE CABERNET FRANC "BEST VALUE"

A small group from the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Wine Society recently blind tasted 8 Cabernet Francs from France, California, and North Carolina.

In a field of 8 wines, the 2001 Kinkead Ridge Cabernet Franc was voted "BEST VALUE" against 6 wines from France and California, and a Biltmore Reserve.

It finished in the top three for  "BEST QUALITY" behind two $40 Napa wines.  Thea Teich, who relayed this information to me, said it was fascinating because it was one of the oldest wines and it really held up, while the one from France just died. Plus it was right up there with wines 2 or 3 times the price.

Here is the lineup.