Kamen Kashmir Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mountain District 2018

Wine country is filled with colorful characters. Some are just a little more colorful than others, however. Case in point: Robert Mark Kamen. Ever since Robert 'stumbled' into winemaking in 1980, Sonoma County has never been the same. While he has enjoyed an uninterrupted film career with over twenty of his screenplays becoming major motion pictures (among them Taps, The Karate Kid series, Fifth Element, The Professional, and A Walk in the Clouds), it was after he came to Sonoma to celebrate the sale of his first screenplay that he fell in love with the Sonoma 'Coma' lifestyle. While hiking the rugged hillsides of the Southern Mayacamas Mountains with a friend, Robert came upon a piece of property with breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay, which left a visceral impact. "I said to my buddy, 'I could stay here forever,' and he said, 'You can. It's for sale,'" Kamen remembers. And the next thing he knew, he had just bought 300 acres of land, with no road, no electricity, and no water using his first screenwriting check. From the beginning, Robert clearly understood what he intended for his property. First and foremost was the desire to plant the highest quality mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, while holding to the pristine spirit of the land. Serendipitously, Robert set out to find the guy who grew the pot he enjoyed the most. "It was the best in California, and so I found him, hiked up here with him, and he told me that his dream was to grow organic wine on hillsides." Nobody planted organic at the time, especially in the mountains. The rest is history. 

Since then, that guy, Phil Coturri, has become one of the best viticulturists in the world and single-handedly brought organic viticulture to the mountains. Initially, the fruit grown at Kamen Estate was sold to premium Sonoma wineries. In 1996, a devastating fire tore through the property, destroying half of the vines along with Robert's home. Where others would see this as a tremendous setback, Robert's credo, "Everything happens for a reason", held sway. The fire forced him to focus not on what had been lost but on what could be gained. Out of the experience, he stopped selling grapes and began making his own wines. Major replanting under Coturri's guidance began as soon as the ground cooled. Cutting-edge viticultural techniques were employed, new selections of Cabernet clones were chosen, different rootstocks were used, Mark Herold was hired on as winemaker, and the first Kamen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was released in 1999. Since then, the wine has become as illustrious and renowned as the man who started it. 100% Organic Estate Cabernet Sauvignon grow at elevations of 1100-1450 ft. in the Moon Mountain District AVA within Sonoma County. Radiant with perfectly ripe aromas of blackberries, cassis, strawberry, roasted nuts, and perfumed plums. Hints of marzipan, espresso, black Indian spices, dried wildflowers, ripe passion fruit, and the hallmark notes of stony minerality add incredible complexity.