Kathryn Kennedy

Filed Under Reds 

Today I had the distinct pleasure of tasting a flight of wines from one of my favorite collectible California Cabernet producers: Kathryn Kennedy. The lineup began with Kennedy’s tribute the St. Emilion, a silky Bordeaux style blend heavily favoring the Merlot varietal, called Lateral.

Kathryn Kennedy Lateral


Here are my personal tasting notes: 2005 Kathryn Kennedy Lateral “Jammy, raspberry, cedar nose. Extremely silky, velvety mouthfeel with good acid, smooth tannin and hints of white pepper on the finish. Lateral is a fantastically elegant and complex Merlot alternative.”

Lateral is one wine that clients call back to ask for more of, without fail.

Next was a run through some amazing vintages of their flagship wine, the Kathryn Kennedy Estate Cabernet starting with the 2000 vintage and finishing with the 2005. The Kathryn Kennedy Estate Cab is a bit of an old friend for me, having sold ample quantities to my big cabernet collectors throughout the years. Marty Mathis, the winemaker for Kennedy, has established a reputation for crafting monster Cabs that can cellar well for decades on end, has been refining his style with an eye toward elegance. And he’s done just that. The show stopper was definitely the 600 case production cult collectible cab made from 35 year old vines, the 2001 vintage Estate Cabernet. Here are my notes:

2001 Kathryn Kennedy Estate Cabernet “Incredible black cherry perfumed nose that serenades you from the glass. Amazing rich color, delicately balanced mouthfeel, very bright fruit on the mid-palate with ripe raspberry jam overwhelming the senses.”

If you’re lucky enough to find and acquire a case or few of these superbly crafted wines, you’ll be thanking yourself for years to come.

Contact Jonathan Keller to acquire Kathryn Kennedy wines.


"Jonathan, I am really excited about the wines you have chosen. You will make my Thanksgiving a much more thankful day. Thank you for you time."

~ Bill F. Chicago, IL



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