Steven Kent Winery

Steven Mirassou is a passionate sort of fellow: he loves wine, he loves the arts, and he loves history, all with equal energy and appreciation. Coming from a storied family in the wine business, he has more than a few wine-related endeavors to reflect on, and more than a few up his sleeve. This wine is one of them. His commitment to the potential for Cabernet Sauvignon in Livermore is legendary. “NAPA?” he quips, “Isn’t that an auto parts company?” He’s bone-tired of people thinking nobody can make a great California Cabernet outside of Napa, and he’s not alone. Steven’s personal mission is to prove that Livermore just might be the next crown prince to the King Cab throne, and with examples like this, one can see that vision resembling reality.

Pour this wine into your glass and you know you have a ticket to something rich, ripe and potent. The color is that gorgeous dark red velvet you might find on the inside of a fine silverware chest. My grandmother had several: the knives always felt so buttery smooth up against that plush velvetness. It almost seemed wrong to expose them to the reality of, well, meat. But, I never was very good at being a vegetarian, and one whiff of this wine will make you reach for the beefsteak, prime rib and all the other pleasures of carnivoredom.

The aromas are wonderfully redolent of dark chocolate covered cherries, black pepper, and purple plums. A lovely texture weaves together flavors of fine herbs, blackberries, leather, spice and rich, ripe Santa Rosa and French prune plums. You can really appreciate the subtle dark power that the Petit Verdot lends to this equation. The fine-grained firm tannins from nearly two years in 90% new French oak (mostly medium toast barrels) are present and pleasant throughout, and the finish is tinged with great hints of white and black pepper. You might not buy into Steven’s vision of Livermore as Cabland, but all you need to enjoy this wine is a glass.

Reviewed October 12, 2006 by Laura Ness.