Kurtz Seven Sleepers 2007

89 pts Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate- Sweetly fruited, complex, savory wine with no hard edges.

Tasting Notes

A fruit driven wine that is dominated by the berry fruit characteristics of Petite Verdot on the nose. A layer of chocolate is gained from the addition of Shiraz and sweetness of Bush Vine Grenache is apparent on the palate. This wine is not over powered by oak, allowing the fruit to show its full potential. Firm tannins give the wine a lingering finish. A rich combination of flavours that is ideally suited to current consumption, but the wine will also improve with further careful cellaring.

Food Accompaniments

Pizza, pasta and crispy Garlic tofu.

Awards, Reviews and other Notes

89 pts Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate
Kurtz Family’s 2007 Sleepers is a field blend of Shiraz, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Malbec aged for 18 months in seasoned French and American oak. The blend was enhanced by the inclusion of all the fruit normally used for the winery’s upper tier wines which were declassified in 2007. Dark ruby in color, it offers up lots of spice notes, black cherry, and blackberry aromas. This leads to a sweetly fruited, complex, savory wine with no hard edges. Drink this forward, lengthy effort over the next 4-5 years.

88 pts Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (JR)
Vivid red color. Fresh red berries, smoke and candied cherry on the nose. Youthfully jammy raspberry and blackberry flavors show good depth and a pliant texture, finishing with good energy and smoky persistence. Not a complicated wine, but utterly delicious and edge-free.

87 pts Wine Spectator Magazine
Light and refreshing, an open-textured mouthful of red berry, cherry and spice, lingering nicely. Shiraz, Grenache, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now. 1,400 cases made.

87 pts Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Fruit forward and rich in texture, with vibrant mixed berry, coconut and lavender flavours that linger smartly on the crisp, medium finish turns almost tart at the end. Better atfer 2010.

Winemaker Notes

Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec were co-fermented on skins for a 9 day total to allow full extraction of colour and tannins. The Petite Verdot, although only 13.5 baume at harvest produced a wine of great colour and this forms the backbone of the wine. The Shiraz parcels were selected in the vineyard and co-fermented unlike previous years where all parcels are separated. Wood maturation was extended to 18 months to allow the fruit flavours to fully develop.

Chemical Analysis

Price

SKU

Varietal

Alcohol %: 13.5
Total Acid: 6.7
Free/Total Sulfur: 20/77
pH: 3.49

$18.99

8609

Red Blend