Bradley N.
Yelp
The Steven Kent Winery is a bit like a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Or maybe it's more like a physiologically ripe Cabernet grape cluster encased in a tangle of pruned leaves and vines all tucked into a once used Taransaud French oak barrel (take that, Sir Winston!).
Metaphors and similes aside, it will take more than a single visit to unravel the riddle that is SKW. For one, "Kent" is a middle name, not a surname. The multigenerational winemaking heritage that the founder continues is that of the Pellier and Mirassou families, who were Santa Clara Valley vintners dating back to the 1850s, until the brand name "Mirassou" was sold to Gallo in 2003 and the original vineyards were tragically torn out to make room for suburban housing developments on the outskirts of San Jose (although the family kept extensive grape growing property in Monterey County, which continues to produce fine wines).
So, what's a displaced scion of a historic winemaking dynasty to do? How about creating an estate winery in Livermore Valley where Bourdeaux styled red and white wines are king? Why not experiment each year with new grapes, blends, reserve wines, and vineyard designate series wines? Throw in fun food and wine events, like vertical tastings of high end Lineage wines as well, and keep the basic tasting room lineup varying every month or so to keep things interesting.
Call it something simple. Steven. Kent. Winery. Create an elegant label. Emboss the letters in gold foil. Put extremely detailed tasting notes on your web site as downloadable pdf files. Maintain a library of past vintages of your top tier wines, so that collectors can consult those tasting notes when deciding how long to cellar a particular vintage and when it can be opened, decanted, and served with an appropriately paired meal.
When you come for a walk-in tasting, be prepared to stand at oak barrel tables and sample 4-5 wines for $15, beginning with a simple white like a 2017 Clements Hills Albariño (sourced from an excellent vineyard near Lodi), an accessible, easy drinking red like an estate "Sparkle" Syrah or BDX Malbec, then shift gears to age-worthy Livermore Valley Cabernets, either blends or single vineyard offerings that retail for around $65.
Remember: you don't have to pick a wine on the daily menu to get your $15 tasting fee applied to purchase. You can order, for example, the superb 2015 "Merrillie" Mission Ranch Vineyard Arroyo Seco Chardonnay, easily among the best white wines in the SK portfolio. Or choose a "Home Ranch Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon from the oldest planted vines on the Tesla Road estate, from a famous Concannon clone of this most noble of grapes. It all depends on your wine drinking needs that day or week: something for an end-of-summer picnic, or for a fall weather weekend feast with old friends, or for storing until 2025 and beyond.
Personally, I'd recommend you go with a really good bottle of Chardonnay, single vineyard series Cabernet, or Premier line of reserve red blended wine, if you're unfamiliar with Steven M.'s wine philosophy and house style, which walks a fine line between Californian and old world approaches. Barrel selection is a major focus as well, as is the choice of yeast strains during the fermentation process.
Mainly, Steven Kent wines are expressions of a particular growing season, special, time-tested vineyard sites, and grapes harvested at the fullest and finest expression, picked when they are ready, not based on a pre-fixed program or personal preference by the winemaker. SKWines are not cookie cutter. Each year will be different. Each grape will speak for itself with varying tones and cadences from one growing cycle to the next, or as the wines age in barrel and bottle prior to release.
Some mysteries in life are worth waiting for, even if they present no obvious solutions. If you are patient, all will be revealed. Just not on your very first visit. Give it some time. Let past tasting experiences in Livermore, Napa, or the Santa Clara Valley slowly fade from memory. Let the Gallos keep the Mirassou label for their made-in-Modesto wines. And let Steven make his own wines, anyway he likes, one barrel and bottle at a time, as he seeks to unlock the riddles in life that motivate him to make another batch more. In the end, you'll be very glad he still does.
