2005 Kaz Winery "Plunge" Sangiovese

Mission Codename: Neoclassical Pranksterism

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Send Agent Red back to his early wine roots Mission Status:
Accomplished!

Current Winery: Kaz Winery

Wine Subject: 2005 ‘Plunge’ Sangiovese

Winemakers: Mister Kaz

Backgrounder:
In early 2004, Agent Red was merely a casual wine drinker. Very
casual. His informal attitude toward wine changed considerably when he
happened upon a small and unassuming winery in the Sonoma County town
of Kenwood. On tasting wine from the Kaz Winery, Agent Red was
transformed. Some say that this is where his obsession with wine was
born. Read his mission report below for more details, then favor your
own taste buds with a few bottles of today’s remarkable wine!
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Note: Sangiovese is an Italian native varietal, now grown with great
success by American growers. Sangiovese is the primary component in
most Italian Chianti wines, which is Italy’s most common table wine.
This wine is 100% Sangiovese, which is how we prefer our Sangiovese,
and we absolutely love it

Look – Medium red-clear pink-plum color

Smell – Tangy cherry with plum and light floral notes

Feel – Initially wet in the mouth, this wine digs in and gives you a
playful slap on the 4 corners of your tongue with its mild-to-medium
tannins

Taste – Delicious, with sweet and mildly sour cherry with a hint of
smoky plum and burned cranberry

Finish – Tasty and long lasting with around the mouth flavors and a
tannic bite that tapers off smoothly

Conclusion – The Wine Spies almost universally adore wine from Sonoma
AND Sangiovese wines. Add Kaz the winemaker to this adoration and you
have a recipe for a great wine. This is a fun wine to drink, but it
can also be enjoyed as a serious wine that can hold up to the harshest
wine-snob scrutiny. Once again, we bring you a wine that we seriously
suggest that you try… Are you detecting a pattern here?
Mission Report:

I am writing this report on my laptop, which sits perched atop the
unpretentious bar in the Kaz Winery tasting room. It is exhilarating
to be back here at the Kaz Winery, where I had my wine awakening.

My prior wine experience was limited merely to ‘red or white’; I had
no clue that there was an amazing array of varietals to be
experienced. I knew that I liked red wine better than white wine and I
knew that some wines cost more than others. I was a total wine noob
(newbie).

One day, while on my way to one of my favorite Sonoma County parks, I
passed by a small winery that I had passed a half dozen times in
recent months. Each time I passed by, my brain filled in more details
about the place. It dawned on me that this particular winery, called
the Kaz Winery was infinitesimally smaller than the behemoth corporate
wineries I passed to get to this park. That made me wonder, were wines
made by a smaller winery better, or worse than those from the big
boys? Or, were small-winery wines less refined or less drinkable? I
was soon to learn that small winery wines could be better, and that
less refined could be a great thing, indeed.

With some trepidation I decided to go to the tasting room. Would these
winefolk speak a language of wine that would be over my head? Would
they be snobby and pretentious? I mustered my courage and walked to
the door – which I tried, stupidly, to pull open. Pulling on the door
caused it to bang loudly because it was a sliding barn door. I felt I
was an idiot for missing the overtly placed sign with a thick black
arrow and the words, “Slide to Open”. Despite my embarrasment I
pressed onward and finally slid the door open.

Inside the room I saw several people lined up at a bar. They looked
happy and relaxed. So, too, did the people behind the counter. They
did not look as I had imagined wine people to look. One of the women
behind the counter welcomed me in by waving me up to the bar. She
asked me if I had ever been in before. I sheepishly admitted that I
had not. She set a glass down in front of me and asked me what I would
like to try. I asked her to surprise me, and boy did she deliver! What
followed was a around-the-world tour of seven Kaz wines! My brain
exploded. I would never be the same again.

Pour after pour, I was encouraged to look at the wine, to notice it,
to sniff it and, of course, to taste it. I was awestruck by the
subtleties of some wines, the brashness of others. I asked questions,
listened, and absorbed the wisdom imparted to me on this visit. Before
this visit I had known simple things like, wines are made from many
different types of grapes, but I never understood why or what the
differences were. The world of wine was finally becoming less of a
mystery and more of a journey.

By the end of my visit I was well on my way to a paradigm shift in my
perception of wine. I realized that wine is something that can be
serious, or fun (or both simultaneously). I realized that wine can be
enjoyed by anyone, even me. It made me wonder about other wineries and
their wines. Could wine get even better than this? It was this simple
question, brought on by my intitial experience that drives me to this
very day.

Standing there, again, at the Kaz tasting bar, awash in the
significance of the place, I felt a sense of respect, contentment, and
purpose. That place, with those wines… That is where it all began!

Footnote :Kaz is a man with a mission of his own; He is driven to
deliver big wines that don’t pussyfoot around. He also does so with a
cheerfully irreverent sense of humor. He is part scientist and part
court jester. While his image, and those on his wine bottles shout
playfulness and good humor, his wines are serious… or, better put,
sincere. Oh, and of course they’re always delicious!


Here is what the winery says about the wine:

Nestled in the Valley of the Moon, Kenwood, California, Kaz Vineyard
and Winery offers up something completely new for the adventurous
souls. We are the smallest winery in the county that sells to the
public and proud of it.

Here’s what sets us apart…

We’re a Real Family Owned and Run Establishment

Winemaker/Owner Richard Kasmier, a.k.a. Kaz is the brains and ego of
he operation. He’s supported by his lovely-artistic-creative wife,
Sandi, and their kids. The Kaz family creates all of their own labels,
ads and even this website. Our humble winery/tasting room, in Kenwood,
is typically staffed by one of the Kaz’s.

Small Production: Every wine is made in small lots of one to eight
barrels. That’s real dinky! We make between forty and sixty barrels
annually. Big wineries make far more that that of just one type of
wine.

Unique Wines: We specialize in Complex Reds, Bold Blends, Rare
Varietals and Ports like you’ve never seen.

Flavor: Many of our wines are tangy due to ultra low sulfites (the
headache causing preservative). This allows for big ripe aromas and
flavor subtleties that intrigue and bewilder.
Technical Analysis:

Alcohol: 13.8%

Barrels made: 6

Grapes from: Ricci Vineyard – Sonoma Valley

Label by: Ryan Kaz.

As Josh in the movie "Big" said, "I don't get it."

On Jul 12, 3:08*pm, "Evan Keel" > wrote:
> As Josh in the movie "Big" said, "I don't get it."

I write at least one wine review per day, and almost in the format
that you see above.

When I 're-publish' those reviews here, perhaps I should just stick
the the core, or 'review' part of the review.

Your thoughts?

Agent Red wrote:
> When I 're-publish' those reviews here, perhaps I should just stick
> the the core, or 'review' part of the review.
>
> Your thoughts?

I agree. Just the core. (It might make sense to republish on the web,
and post a link to that original at the end of the "core" post here.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Agent Red wrote:

> I write at least one wine review per day, and almost in the format
> that you see above.
>
> When I 're-publish' those reviews here, perhaps I should just stick
> the the core, or 'review' part of the review.
>
> Your thoughts?

Again, speaking only as one individual, I find the depth of information
you supply refreshing, as opposed to the "just what's in the glass"
school of review. I would, however, be more inclined to read your
reviews if they were stripped of the "Wine Spies" verbiage. I realize
that it's your conceit for the website, but out of context it just
sounds a bit bizarre and detracts from the meat of your review.

Just my $0.02,
Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

On Jul 12, 9:59�pm, Agent Red > wrote:
> On Jul 12, 3:08�pm, "Evan Keel" > wrote:
>
> > As Josh in the movie "Big" said, "I don't get it."
>
> I write at least one wine review per day, and almost in the format
> that you see above.
>
> When I 're-publish' those reviews here, perhaps I should just stick
> the the core, or 'review' part of the review.
>
> Your thoughts?

I would prefer just the "core". I find the secret agent stuff a bit
corny.

Bi!! wrote:
> On Jul 12, 9:59�pm, Agent Red > wrote:
>> On Jul 12, 3:08�pm, "Evan Keel" > wrote:
>>
>>> As Josh in the movie "Big" said, "I don't get it."
>> I write at least one wine review per day, and almost in the format
>> that you see above.
>>
>> When I 're-publish' those reviews here, perhaps I should just stick
>> the the core, or 'review' part of the review.
>>
>> Your thoughts?
>
> I would prefer just the "core". I find the secret agent stuff a bit
> corny.

I second (or third) that. The secret agent business is off putting in
this international format, and outside the tasting notes it reads
like marketing. Sorry. This is a pretty educated group, we can
do without the fluff IMHO.

-E

Emery Davis > wrote in news:6e1t8hF4tn9lU1
@mid.individual.net:

> Bi!! wrote:
>> On Jul 12, 9:59�pm, Agent Red > wrote:
>>> On Jul 12, 3:08�pm, "Evan Keel" > wrote:
>>>
>>>> As Josh in the movie "Big" said, "I don't get it."
>>> I write at least one wine review per day, and almost in the format
>>> that you see above.
>>>
>>> When I 're-publish' those reviews here, perhaps I should just stick
>>> the the core, or 'review' part of the review.
>>>
>>> Your thoughts?
>>
>> I would prefer just the "core". I find the secret agent stuff a bit
>> corny.
>
> I second (or third) that. The secret agent business is off putting in
> this international format, and outside the tasting notes it reads
> like marketing. Sorry. This is a pretty educated group, we can
> do without the fluff IMHO.
>
> -E
>

Besides does anyone think that you will fail in your mission? or the
that wine will fail? As jack Webb famously said, "Just the facts, ma'am,
Just the facts."

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell