Dark ruby with wide clear edges.  Serious patina beyond the color of spicy oak and cola and a wet, dirty base of sweet icing and cassis.  Steamed rice roundness, a nice asparagus and hot jam.  It’s kinda all flabby oak and richness, rather one-dimensional in that regard–lacking serious complexity–relying on age and oak where pure Cabernet fruit would be present in something of a higher pedigree.  Steven Kent is part of the Mirassou dynasty and while this is head-and-shoulders above anything I have had the mispleasure of tasting from that label, it still reeks of un-interesting-ness.  Not a horrible wine–lovely to drink–but simple and “yummy”.  Beautiful mellow aged cab meets the mouth, with a slow-growing backing of spice and eucalyptus.  Finish blossoms with more of the promises of the nose–lovely earth and mint–before the heat takes over and nearly obscures whatever tannins are remaining.

2008 STEVEN KENT Cabernet Sauvignon Livermore Valley  14.2

http://www.stevenkent.com/