What To Drink on Valentine's Day? Kamen 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon.

I discovered the Kamen tasting room during our last trip to Sonoma in November.  Tucked into a small space inside the Square, it has a sparsely contemporary but comfortable feel.  The first thing we noticed was the artwork on the walls, custom made prints with large words.  Kind of strange phrases, actually. Our hostess explained that the owner, Robert Kamen, is a screenwriter with credits such as the Karate Kid trilogy, Taken and the Transporter television series.  Ahhhhh, interesting. 

We shared a tasting at the marble counter as our hostess guided us through the wines.  She set us up with imported bottled water, almonds and crackers.  We went for the Signature Flight, starting with a Sauvignon Blanc.  I'm actually not such a fan of white wine but this was nice and light.  Next, we tasted the Syrah.  I'm a big fan of Syrah and I found this one delicious.  We moved on to the Writer's Block, a full bodied blend of Syrah, Cabernet and Petit Syrah.  This one was my husband's favorite.

Finally she poured the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon.  I loved this one.  Very rich, smooth and complex.  It was dense and dark and definitely my pick.  We then got a bonus pour of the 2009 Cab.  They only had a few bottles of this one left and it was easy to see why.  I enjoyed it even more than the 2010.

We decided not to purchase any of the Kamen to take home.  The Writer's Block was the least expensive red at $58 a bottle but the Cabernet was $80 for the 2010 and the 2009 was higher, so we regrettably passed. 

Fast Forward to Valentine's Day.  I did a search for any Kamen wine locally and was thrilled to find a bottle of 2008 (!) at Total Wine for $83.00.  I figured that if we stayed in for dinner and enjoyed the wine at home it was definitely worth the splurge.  I was even able to use a Bevmo coupon for $10.00 off to soften the blow a little.

Was it worth it?  Totally.  It was as perfect a glass of wine as I've had in a while.  At least since November.

Bottom Line:  Splurge and Drink it Down!