2008 Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
(14.8% alcohol): Bright medium ruby. Black cherry, menthol and dark chocolate on the nose, with a note of violet emerging with air. Supple, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon with ripe, palate-saturating flavors of black cherry, minerals and dark chocolate; an edge of acidity gives the wine just enough shape to maintain its balance. Finishes with big, chewy tannins that dust the front teeth but avoid dryness. Not particularly elegant or delineated but a solidly built 2008 with attractive violet lift. I'd still wait another year for the tannins to mellow further.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(blended with 3% malbec; from Coombsville fruit): Bright ruby. Sexy aromas of cassis, smoke and flint, with lovely violet lift. Lush and mouthfilling without being at all over the top, with dark berry and chocolate flavors dominating. Finishes with broad, serious tannins. This is 14.8% alcohol with a moderate 3.65 pH. Winemaker Herold notes that this fruit always ripens but that cool evening breezes in Coombsville help to preserve acidity levels. This has turned out very well.
A joint project between well-known winemaking consultant Mark Herold and Kevin Carriker, Kobalt’s big, blockbuster 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) boasts an inky/purple color as well as a big, sweet perfume of camphor, charcoal, blueberries, black currants and toasty oak. Superb fruit, a sweet, full-bodied mouthfeel, a multilayered texture and a long finish with abundant but sweet, nicely integrated tannins, this classic Napa Cabernet should be consumed over the next 15-18 years. Tel. (707) 738-8742
Bright ruby. Cassis and violet on the rather cool nose. Juicy and tight, with unforthcoming black fruit and mineral flavors dominating the palate. This, too, is extremely primary today and will likely need at least a few years of aging.