Chester-Kidder

A big, black-fruited, concentrated red based on 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, and a splash of Petit Verdot, the 2019 Chester Kidder Red Wine sports a dense purple hue as well as a rock star nose of currants, spicy oak, flowers, and smoked tobacco. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, with beautiful tannins, it needs 3-5 years of bottle age to develop more complexity but will have two decades of overall longevity. It's a beautiful bottle of wine.

The 2019 Chester Kidder from Long Shadows is their Cabernet-dominant blend, this time checking in with 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Syrah, with the rest being Petit Verdot. Displaying a brooding dark blue-purple core with a neon purple rim, aromas of black and blue plums, black peppercorns, rich tobacco, violet flowers, and cedary herbs explode from the glass. It’s still a baby, so give this a year or two to come into its own before enjoying. Highly recommended and editor’s choice.

Named after the late Allen Shoup's mother and grandmother, the 2019 Chester Kidder is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah and 3% Petit Verdot. It has a complex, firm and bold nose that focused on dark fruit aromas of blackberry skin and spiced plum. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers a bold and firm-gripping tannic structure that will benefit from an additional year of bottle aging after its release in the fall of 2023. The wine continues to reveal layers of complexity over the firm and food-friendly finish.

What a treat to taste a wine with a few years of bottle age. Sweet hyacinth and blueberry aromas make room on the dance floor for pipe tobacco and cedar. This Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blend still feels youthful, with significant tannic structure and playful acidity. Black cherry and salted licorice flavors bring it home. Cellar Selection.

The 2019 Chester-Kidder is exotic and earthy in style, with ashen stones, graphite, black currants and hints of rosemary forming its bouquet. This is silky and sleek, with racy acidity propelling its mineral-tinged red and black fruits. It leaves a coating of trippy tannins to linger, pinching at the cheeks with youthful concentration, as sweet herbal tones slowly face.

Notes of ground spices, walnut, cocoa powder and dark fruit. Medium to full-bodied, meaty and chewy with chalky tannins and a ripe dark berry core. Structured and long.

This wine is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, and 3% Petit Verdot. Fruit comes from Summit View, Candy Mountain, and Dionysus vineyards respectively. Aged in tight grain French oak (85% new), the aromas are effusive, with notes of sweet barrel spice, blackberry pie, coffee, black cherry, and herb, with fruit and barrel playing equal parts. The palate is ripe and rich, with plentiful oak accents. The tannins give a light squeeze. Coffee notes linger on the warm finish. Give it extended additional time in bottle for the oak to more fully integrate.

It’s another brilliant wine from this team and has vibrant plum and darker, almost blue fruits as well as spicy oak, chocolate, graphite, and scorched earth aromas and flavors. Balanced and medium to full-bodied, with a terrific sense of freshness as well as building tannins.

Aromas of black currants, smoke and toasted herbs. Full-bodied with a lot of earthy, leathery character. Slightly chewy tannins. I like the brooding complexity and intensity here. Very concentrated.

The 2018 Chester-Kidder is a stunning blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah and 8% Petit Verdot. The palate is exceedingly refined and elegant with firm tannins holding in place a core of cassis, anise, dark chocolate shavings and tar tones. It finishes very long with black fruits, creosote and minerals. This beautiful wine has yet to fully hit its stride, but you can see the potential here.

Appealing aromas of freshly brewed coffee, dark cherry and barrel spice lead to full bodied flavors, where fruit and barrel intertwine. A long finish caps it off. There's a lot of fruit and loads of tannic stuffing behind it all. It's rewarding now, but more lies within. Cellar Selection.

The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2017 Chester-Kidder is another more closed, reserved wine that's loaded with potential. Cassis, toasted spices, violets, and leafy herb notes give way to a rich, full-bodied red that has ripe, velvety tannins, a rounded, mouth-filling texture, and one heck of a great finish. Give bottles 3-5 years if you can and it should be very long lived.

Aromas of black fruit, anise, vanilla, cocoa and other barrel spices are followed by pitch-black, rich, hedonistic fruit flavors that bring the acidity and tannin structure of the vintage. It's intense, but with plenty of sophistication. Editors' Choice

Aromas of cassis, chocolate, charcoal and rosemary. It's full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Rich and intense with a firm structure. Muscular and big.

Coming from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Syrah, and 6% Petit Verdot, this enticing and intense blend from winemaker Gilles Nicault spends 30 months in French oak barrels with 85% being new. A gorgeous deep ruby color in the glass, the nose explodes with aromas of black plum, black currant compote, ground cinnamon stick, eucalyptus, white tobacco leaf and a touch of butterscotch roasted marshmallow. The palate is more savory than fruit-forward than the nose, with dark cherry fruits playing second fiddle to saline, iron, bacon fat, toasted black peppercorn and dried thyme. It’s a complex and beautiful wine that will need another year or two in bottle to come into its own. Highly recommended.

The 2017 Chester Kidder is almost entirely sourced from the newly formed Candy Mountain AVA. A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon with 26% Syrah and the remainder Petit Verdot. The wine shows espresso bean and red cherry candy tones alongside tobacco leaf, with black tea and exotic spices that all take shape in the glass. The palate is super fresh and vibrant with firm tannins that hold together milk chocolate covered espresso bean, tar, dark currants, boysenberry pie and menthol tones. The weight and length is outstanding and the 2017 Chester-Kidder will provide drinking enjoyment for several decades to come.

Brooding aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice, espresso and violet, plus a whiff of iodiney minerality. Dense, sweet and deep, conveying a youthful medicinal quality to its dark fruit, menthol, licorice and mineral flavors. This seriously mouthfilling wine shows very good mineral energy and finishes with substantial tongue-coating tannins.

An interesting blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, and the rest Petit Verdot, all aged 30 months in 85% new French oak. Jammy blackberries, cassis, graphite, scorched earth, and crushed flower notes all emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, opulent texture, subtle vanilla oak, and a great finish. It's a beautiful, powerful yet impeccably balanced wine that will evolve for 15-20 years.

This Bordeaux-inspired red blend has a rich, ripe array of dark berries that are framed in a sweetly spicy oak and delivered in a seamless style that is a hallmark of this producer. Such long and noble tannins. Impressive wine.

The 2016 Chester-Kidder begins with a dense and chewy nose, opening to concentrated black fruit and dark red fruit aromas with dusty black pepper and dried herbs that waft out of the glass with inky resinous purple flowers and lifting oak spices. Full-bodied, the wine is generous with a chewy mouthfeel and firm tannins that tighten on the mid-palate before lingering with a long, drawn-out finish. Leaving behind flavors of bitter dark chocolate, black spice, sticky currants and cassis, there is a lasting flavor of smoked blackberries that recline on the tongue. This is delicious stuff but keep it a couple more years in the wine cellar before opening. Patience will be rewarded.

Cassis, cedary spice, and dried flower notes emerge from the 2015 Chester-Kidder. It's medium to full-bodied, beautifully complex and layered, with more upfront charm and approachability than most 2015s. Nevertheless, it's going to evolve gracefully on its balance and harmony. Made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah, and 15% Petit Verdot that spent a full 30 months in oak, hats off to winemaker Gilles Nicault for another terrific vintage for this wine.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Chester Kidder has a rich, classic core full of black fruit, with a soft dustiness and a clear line of minerality through the center. The palate remains mineral-driven with subtle notes of savory spice giving way to structuring tannins. The sweet oak tones align with dusty blackberries and soft purple florals on the palate, ending with a long and complex finish with hints of graphite as the tannins grip the gumline and will last for quite some time. It's a beautiful wine.

A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah, and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2014 Chester-Kidder offers up a sweet bouquet of black currants, blackberries, licorice and asphalt. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and seamless, with an ample core of succulent fruit, good balancing acids and a richly tannic, subtly oak-inflected finish. It should drink well for a decade.

Musky, slightly high-toned aromas of dark raspberry, black olive, licorice and smoked meat are lifted by a violet topnote. Wonderfully sweet, densely packed wine with terrific fruit intensity and substantial baby fat. This creamy, horizontal blend finished plush and long, with serious, broad palate and tooth-coating tannins, a distinct spiciness and no rough edges. A very harmonious 2014.

Lots of dark and compelling fruit on the nose with licorice and walnut skin. Black pepper and tar. Full body and chewy tannins. Lots of wood and chocolate undertones. Almost sexy.

The 2013 Chester-Kidder sports an inky color as well as rich, serious notes of black currants, scorched earth and chocolate. Deep, rich and concentrated, with beautiful purity and fine tannin.

Clean aromas of cassis, black cherry, and spices lifted by a floral top note and a hint of dried herbs. Wonderfully suave and pliant on the palate, with plum, cassis and black raspberry flavors complemented by sweet oak tones. Finishes with noble tannins and superb length and floral lift.

The finest vintage for the cuvée to date. It's a serious, age-worthy beauty that sports an inky purple color to go with notes of ripe black currants, toast oak, spice-box and espresso roast. Full-bodied, luxuriously textured and concentrated. It has ample underlying tannin and will see its 30th birthday in fine form!

Brooding aromas of dark berries, espresso, violet and graphite convey a youthfully medicinal quality. Very smooth but very tight, with cassis and bitter chocolate flavors dominating. This very concentrated, layered wine will need time to unfold.

The 2011 Chester-Kidder is a beauty. Coming from a difficult vintage and a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah and 7% Petit Verdot, it spent 30 months in 85% new French oak before being bottled. Inky colored, medium to full-bodied, silky and with fabulous tannin quality, it's absorbed almost every trace of its oak élevage and offers layers of dark fruits, licorice, chocolate and toasted spice. It has a classic feel and will age effortlessly for another 10-15 years.

The 2010 Chester-Kidder is a smoking blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Pure, voluptuous and rich, with fantastic blackberry fruit, crushed rock-like minerality, lead pencil and graphite, it's a serious, age-worthy red that will evolve graceful for 10 to 12 years or more.

Deep ruby-red. Aromas of dark berries, graphite and sexy oak lifted by violet and licorice notes reminded me a bit of Napa Valley. Supple, broad and attractively gentle, conveying an impression of superb breadth without any excess weight. The flavors of black cherry, cassis and flowers carry through on the long finish, which features very fine tannins and excellent length.

A big, rich wine that does everything right, it has an inky purple color to go with intense creme de cassis, raspberry, toast and spiced meat aromas on the nose. Surprisingly polished and supple on the palate, with juicy acidity, it has layers of fruit, a medium to full-bodied texture and serious length on the finish.

Expressive nose offers currant, cherry cola, graphite and dark chocolate. Silky, sexy and intense with firm, vibrant Cabernet fruit complicated by licorice and spices. Finishes lively and very long, with sweet tannins and solid structure.

Tannins grip around the edges of expressive cherry, roasted meat and herb flavors, mingling effectively on the long finish. Strikes an attractive balance and keeps singing on the finish.

Medium red. Lovely Old World earthiness on the nose, along with brown spices and red rose. Then fresh, suave and layered in the mouth, with enticing floral lift to the dark berry, licorice, mocha and mineral flavors. This really spreads out to saturate the palate, but with perfume rather than weight. Finishes very long, with broad tannins, harmonious acidity and hints of mocha and pepper. A beauty.

Cellar Selection. Released up to a full year later than the other Long Shadows reds, it is well-integrated and focused, with high-toned black cherry fruit set in dusty tannins. Scents of sandalwood drift through, along with cocoa and spice. As good or even better than the outstanding 2006.

The 2007 release is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah, 14% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc aged for 30 months in 100% new French oak. The winemaker is Gilles Nicault, who oversees all seven Long Shadows labels on a daily basis. Aromas of pain grille, mineral, pepper, meat, incense, violets, blueberry, and blackberry inform the nose of a dense, layered, succulent wine that will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring. A tasty offering.

The 2006 Chester-Kidder Red Wine is produced by Gilles Nicault, resident winemaker who also oversees the daily upbringing of all the Long Shadows wines. The latest Chester-Kidder is composed of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Syrah, 10% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Franc sourced from multiple AVAs. Medium purple-colored, it sports an inviting perfume of sandalwood, smoke, spice box, lavender, blueberry, and blackberry. The Syrah component gives it a forward personality but there is enough structure for several years of further development. Layered, savory, and concentrated, this lengthy effort will offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2027.

Excellent bright ruby-red. Deep aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, spices and leather. Suave on entry, then primary, deep and sweet, with a penetrating quality to the rich dark berry, spice and mint flavors. This one has a tightly coiled spring and underlying minerality that suggest it will be long-lived. Finishes clenched in a positive way, with a rising finish and broad, integrated tannins.

Cellar Selection. It has a feminine grace and softness in the aromas, a lovely mix of flowers and spice. The Syrah brightens up the fruit, accenting berry flavors with a hint of pepper, while the Petit Verdot adds clover and violet aromas and density to the tannins.

Opaque purple-colored, it reveals an alluring nose of brooding black fruit, pencil lead, mineral, and spice box. Round and ripe on the palate, it borders on opulence while concealing enough tannin to support another 6-8 years of cellaring. The sweet, savory fruit carries through into the lengthy finish.

Surprisingly expressive on the nose in light of the recent bottling, offering cassis, sappy spices, espresso, black pepper and wisteria. Dense, sweet and spicy, displaying an uncanny combination of fleshiness and vibrancy. Appears to gain in breadth and thickness toward the back, finishing with fine, palate-saturating tannins and lingering flavors of cassis and minerals.

Opaque purple-colored, it reveals an alluring nose of cedar, leather, pencil lead, espresso, blueberry, and blackberry. Round and ripe on the palate, it borders on opulence while concealing enough tannin to support another 5-7 years of cellaring. The sweet, savory fruit carries through into the lengthy finish.

Subtly complex nose melds plum, cranberry, chocolate, tobacco, and fresh herbs. Very ripe, fat and sweet, with a hint of game adding nuances to the red currant and chocolate flavors. An attractively plump wine that finishes sweet and long, with impressively lush tannins.

Ruby-red. Cassis and bitter chocolate on the nose, with a suggestion of candied berries. Sweet, dense and broad, with expressive flavors of plum, cassis, chocolate and licorice. Very rich and chocolatey on the back end, finishing with dusty tannins and good fat fruit. Lovely wine. This spent 27 months in French oak.

A sturdy Syrah-Cabernet blend, this requires air to reveal its dark sassafras scent, ample cassis flavors and long, spicy finish.

A 300-case blend of 47% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2002 Chester-Kidder explodes from the glass with spices that are reminiscent of wines made in American oak (though all the oak was French). Its cedary, dark-fruit-laced personality is firm, structured, and boasts loads of exotic spice flavors. This concentrated wine will benefit from cellaring to civilize its tannin.